NOV  22  1.910      * 


Division   3S?  "    ' 
Section      .VVS'drr' 


THE   WESTMINSTER  NEW  TESTAMENT 

THE  CAPTIVITY   AND   THE 
PASTORAL   EPISTLES 


THE  WESTMINSTER  NEW  TESTAMENT 

Gf.neral  Editor 
ALFRED  E.  GARVIE,  M.A.(Oxon.),  D.D.(Glas.) 

PRINCIPAL  OF  NEW  COLLEGE,  LONDON 


THE  CAPTIVITY 

AND    THE 

PASTORAL   EPISTLES 


WITH  INTRODUCTION  AND  NOTES 
By  the  Rev.  JAMES   STRACHAN,  M.A. 

AUTHOR    OF    "HEBREW    IDEALS  " 


®     '*     KOV22I910 


NEW   YORK 

FLEMING    H.   REVELL   COMPANY 

LONDON 

ANDREW   MELROSE 


CONTENTS 


Introduction  , 

Commentary— 
Colossians 
Philemon 
Ephesians 
Philippians 

1  Timothy 

2  Timothy 
Titus 

Index 


•AGK 

I 


32 

S7 
103 
165 
201 
236 
257 
273 


NOTE 


To  give  a  satisfying  interpretation  of  seven  epistles  in  a  book 
of  this  size  appears  to  the  present  writer  almost  out  of  the 
question,  and  he  can  only  hope  to  shed  rays  of  light  here  and 
there.  To  save  some  space  a  good  many  improved  readings 
have  been  introduced  in  heavy  type — mostly  from  the  R.V. — 
without  reference  to  those  which  have  been  displaced.  There  is 
an  immense  literature  on  Paul  and  his  teaching.  After  reading 
what  English,  American,  French,  German,  and  Dutch  scholars 
have  said  about  him,  the  writer  has  endeavoured  to  do  his  own 
thinking.  His  opinion  on  the  composition  of  the  Pastoral 
Epistles  is  not  generally  held  by  scholars  in  Great  Britain,  nor 
does  it  accord  with  the  common  tradition  in  the  Church,  but  it 
has  been  forced  upon  him  by  the  internal  evidence  of  the 
epistles  themselves. 


THE 

WESTMINSTER  NEW  TESTAMENT 

THE  CAPTIVITY  AND  THE  PASTORAL 
EPISTLES 


INTRODUCTION. 

PAUL  IN  ROME. 

As  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  Paul  made  it  his 
aim  to  capture  the  great  cities  of  the  Roman 
Empire  for  Christ.  Having  the  instincts  of  a 
born  strategist,  he  always  worked  with  a  definite 
policy,  a  carefully  thought  out  plan  of  action.  He 
attacked  the  citadels  of  paganism  one  after  the 
other.  He  laid  the  foundation  of  Christ's  kingdom 
in  the  chief  seats  of  commerce,  learning,  and  art. 
He  evidently  believed  that  the  rest  of  the  Empire 
could  be  conquered  in  detail,  as  the  thoughts 
awakened  at  the  centres  of  intellectual  activity 
must  sooner  or  later  pass  to  the  remotest  towns 
and  villages.  Early  in  his  career  he  began  to  hear 
the  call  of  Rome,  and  it  was  a  voice  which  he  could 
not  silence.  Time  after  time  he  was  on  the  point 
of  starting  for  the  mother-city,  and  time  after 
time  he  was  prevented.     His  purpose  was  often 


2     Westminster  New  Testament 

thwarted,  but  never  for  a  moment  abandoned. 
Rome  lay  ever  on  the  far  horizon  of  his  mind. 
His  desire  to  see  it  at  length  became  over- 
mastering. Even  when  he  was  journeying  East 
his  thoughts  were  flying  West.  Jerusalem,  the 
goal  of  his  youthful  dreams,  was  now  but  a  stage 
on  th«  winding  road  to  Rome.  He  saw  the  city 
in  his  dreams,  he  prayed  that  he  might  reach  it, 
he  was  consumed  by  the  desire  to  preach  in  it. 
His  passionate  yearning  was  far  deeper  than  the 
mere  patriotic  sentiment  of  a  Roman  citizen.  It 
was  justified  by  his  sure  sense  of  the  supreme 
strategic  importance  of  the  metropolis,  the 
gathering-place  of  all  nations.  He  probably 
realised  that  his  own  greatest  work  must  be 
accomplished  there.  At  any  rate  he  knew  that 
the  decisive  blow  to  paganism  had  to  be  struck 
at  the  world's  great  centre.  Till  he  came  to 
Rome  he  could  never  fully  appreciate  the  strength 
of  the  dominion  of  the  Caesars,  nor  measure 
against  it  all  the  power  of  Christ.  For  the  world- 
city  he  had  a  world-gospel.  Once  there,  he  would 
pour  new  life-blood  into  the  throbbing  heart  of 
civilisation,  to  circulate  through  eveiy  vein  of  all 
the  Empire. 

At  length  his  heart's  desire  was  realised.  "  And 
so  we  came  to  Rome  ...  we  entered  Rome,"  says 
his  companion  and  historian,  thankful  for  this 
crowning  mercy,  conscious  of  chronicling  an  epoch- 
making  event.  It  is  true  that  Paul  did  not  come 
to  Rome,  as  he  had  hoped,  with  full  freedom  of 
action.  He  was  sent  thither  as  "an  ambassador  in 
bonds,"  and  he  probably  remained  a  prisoner  till 
the  day  of  his  death.  Yet  his  ministry  in  Rome 
was  supremely  effective.     He  could  scarcely  have 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   3 

accomplished  more  had  he  enjoyed  perfect  liberty. 
By  his  courage  in  adversity,  by  his  magnetic  power 
over  other  preachers,  by  his  reception  of  inquirers 
in  his  hired  house,  by  his  influence  among  the 
Praetorian  Guard,  and  by  his  repeated  defences 
before  his  imperial  judges,  he  made  a  profound 
impression  upon  Christian  and  pagan  Rome.  And 
by  the  letters  which  he  dictated  in  his  Roman 
prison  he  left  a  memorial  more  enduring  than 
brass,  a  pattern  of  Christian  faith  to  shape  the  life 
of  the  Church  in  all  ages. 

THE  EPISTLES  OF  THE  CAPTIVITY. 

If  we  may  provisionally  accept  the  ordinary 
division  of  the  Pauline  letters  into  four  groups, 
Colossians,  Philemon,  Ephesians,  and  Philippians 
will  form  the  third  group,  and  the  order  in  which 
they  are  here  given  probably  represents  their  true 
chronological  sequence.  Between  Romans,  the 
last  of  the  second  group,  and  Colossians,  the  first 
of  the  third,  there  must  be  an  interval  of  several 
years,  and  when  we  pass  from  the  one  to  the  other, 
we  at  once  feel  that  we  begin  to  breathe  a  new 
atmosphere  and  move  amid  a  different  set  of 
conditions.  The  old  battle-cries  of  justification  by 
faith  alone  and  liberty  from  the  law,  which  ring 
through  all  the  epistles  of  the  second  period,  are 
scarcely  heard  in  those  of  the  third.  In  the 
interval  the  cause  of  spiritual  liberty  has  triumphed. 
Judaism  has  received  its  death-blow.  It  has  been 
settled  once  for  all  that  the  Mosaic  yoke  is  not  to 
be  imposed  upon  Gentile  Christians.  Paul  himself 
has  done  far  more  than  any  other  apostle  to  bring 
about   this   result.     He   has  best   understood  the 


4    Westminster  New  Testament 

genius  of  Christianity.  He  has  taken  the  great 
thoughts  of  Christ  and  made  them  current  coin  in 
the  Roman  Empire.  And  he  has  at  the  same  time 
established  his  own  position  as  the  supreme 
inspired  teacher  of  the  perfect  reHgion.  From 
this  period  onward  he  no  longer  requires  to  maintain 
his  apostolic  authority ;  he  is  calmly  conscious  of 
the  unique  place  which  he  has  won  in  the  whole 
Christian  Church. 

With  many  differences  of  detail  there  is  a 
marked  similarity  of  style  in  the  four  Epistles  of 
the  Roman  Imprisonment.  They  are  less  fiery  and 
impetuous  than  those  of  the  earlier  groups.  They 
breathe  a  more  tranquil  spirit.  Their  logic  is  not 
so  remorseless.  They  are  more  tender  and 
meditative.  They  are  pervaded  by  a  more  cheerful 
optimism^  a  more  serene  and  joyful  confidence. 
If  the  epistles  of  the  first  and  second  groups  re- 
semble the  flush  of  dawn  and  the  fervour  of  midday, 
those  of  the  third  group  suggest  the  mellow 
loveliness  of  afternoon,  and  those  of  the  fourth  the 
peace  of  evening.  The  change  in  style  reflects 
the  change  in  the  writer's  outward  conditions. 
Paul  the  restless  traveller  and  missionary  is  forced 
at  last  to  sit  still.  For  four  or  five  years  he  seems 
to  be  doomed  to  a  life  of  tedious  inaction.  And 
Paul  the  prisoner  already  begins  to  feel  that  he 
is  Paul  the  aged.  But  how  wise  was  the 
providence  which  gave  the  man  of  enterprise  a 
season  of  quiet  reflection!  There  were  two  long 
pauses  in  Paul's  strenuous  life  as  a  Christian, 
the  one  at  the  beginning,  the  other  at  the  end  of 
his  career,  and  the  world  owes  more  than  it  knows 
to  the  Arabian  desert  and  the  Roman  prison. 

Colossians,     Philemon,     and     Ephesians     were 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   5 

evidently  written  from  the  same  place  about  the 
same  time.  There  are  many  links  of  connection 
between  them.  Tychicus  is  the  bearer  of  both 
Colossians  and  Ephesians  (Col.  iv.  7,  8  ;  Eph.  vi. 
21,  22),  and  Onesimus,  the  subject  of  Philemon, 
is  the  companion  of  Tychicus  (Col.  iv.  9).  Greetings 
are  sent  in  Colossians  and  Philemon  to  the  same 
group  of  friends  (Col.  iv.  10,  12,  14;  Philem. 
23,  24).  In  Philem.  2  a  message  is  sent  to 
Archippus,  and  in  Col.  iv.  17  we  learn  that  he 
held  an  official  position  in  the  church  of  Colossae. 
To  some  scholars — such  as  Meyer,  Haupt,  Sabatier 
— it  seemed  probable  that  these  epistles  were 
written  in  Paul's  Caesarean  prison,  but  this  theory 
has  now  few  advocates.  The  following  facts  are 
against  it.  Onesimus,  the  fugitive  slave,  would  be 
much  more  likely  to  seek  refuge  among  the 
teeming  millions  of  Rome  than  in  a  little  Syrian 
town ;  and  he  would  find  it  less  difficult  to  gain 
access  to  Paul  in  a  Roman  hired  house  than  in  a 
Caesarean  gaol.  In  Rome  it  would  be  far  easier 
for  the  apostle  to  send  letters  to  distant  churches 
and  to  receive  messengers  from  other  lands.  Only 
in  Rome  was  it  natural  for  him  to  expect  a  speedy 
settlement  of  his  case.  If  he  wrote  jprom  Caesarea, 
before  his  departure  for  Rome,  it  is  strange  that 
he  should  speak  of  going  to  Colossae,  and  not  say 
a  word  about  the  long-expected  voyage  to  Italy 
which  must  have  filled  all  his  thoughts. 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  COLOSSIANS. 

This  letter  was  written  by  Paul  to  a  church 
which  he  had  not  founded  and  which  he  had  never 
been  able  to  visit.     But  he  was  profoundly  inter- 


6     Westminster  New  Testament 

ested  in  Colossae  because  its  church  sprang  into 
being  as  the  result  of  the  labours  of  his  convert 
and  delegate,  Epaphras.  Colossae  was  one  of  three 
sister  cities  in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Lycus,  an 
affluent  of  the  Maeander,  in  the  heart  of  the 
Roman  province  of  Asia.  It  lay  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river,  under  the  shadow  of  Mount  Cadmus 
(7000  feet  high)  with  its  eternal  snow.  Ten  miles 
farther  down  the  stream  was  Laodicea,  which  was 
faced  by  Hierapolis,  picturesquely  perched  on  an 
elevation  at  the  other  side  of  the  valley,  six  miles 
distant.  Laodicea  and  Colossae  were  on  the  great 
road  from  Ephesus  to  the  Euphrates,  the  most 
important  route  of  commerce  and  intercourse  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  Empire.  Xenophon  in  his 
story  of  the  Ten  Thousand  speaks  of  "the 
populous,  prosperous,  and  beautiful  city"  of 
Colossae.  But  as  the  other  two  cities  grew, 
Colossae  began  to  wane,  and  Strabo,  about  the 
time  of  Christ,  speaks  of  it  as  "a  small  city" 
{polisma).  Nevertheless  it  continued  to  be  one  of 
the  most  important  meeting-places  of  East  and 
West.  While  its  permanent  population  was  Phrygian, 
with  an  admixture  of  Greeks  and  Jews,  it  was 
constantly  visited  by  travellers  of  all  nationalities, 
who  kept  it  for  ever  simmering  with  new  ideas. 

These  three  cities  of  the  Lycus  valley  were 
Epaphras'  mission-field,  and  his  labours  seem  to 
have  been  speedily  crowned  with  success.  Three 
churches  were  planted,  and  rapidly  grew.  But  it 
was  that  kind  of  rapidity  which  makes  wise  men 
shake  their  heads.  It  was  too  feverish  to  be  healthy. 
Some  of  those  who  eagerly  expressed  their  faith 
in  Christ,  and  took  His  Church  by  storm,  brought 
with   them   many  of  the  cherished    ideas  of  the 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   7 

time,  partly  Jewish  and  partly  pagan,  which  they 
not  only  saw  no  reason  to  discard,  but  which  they 
were  prepared  to  defend  as  an  important,  indeed  an 
essential,  part  of  God's  message  to  men.  They 
made  Christianity  too  popular  by  making  it  too 
easy.  They  proved  that  the  old  faith  could  live 
with  the  new ;  that  a  man  might  become  a 
Christian  mthout  shedding  any  of  his  principles 
or  prejudices.  The  result  was  that  the  gospel  was 
soon  in  imminent  danger  of  being  submerged  by 
a  rising  tide  of  non-Christian  beliefs  and  practices. 
Epaphras  at  length  became  alarmed,  and  went  all 
the  way  to  Rome  to  consult  his  chief.  While  it 
was  in  his  power  to  give  a  glowing  account  of  the 
success  of  his  mission,  he  was  at  the  same  time 
obliged  to  speak  of  the  serious  dangers  that 
threatened  the  life  of  all  the  young  communities 
which  he  had  planted  in  that  perfervid  atmosphere 
of  Eastern  speculation. 

The  beginning  of  the  Christian  era  is  the  age 
of  the  eclectic.  In  consequence  of  the  decay  of 
national  and  popular  religions,  all  the  possible 
permutations  and  combinations  of  beliefs  new  and 
old  are  being  tried.  The  Lycus  valley,  a  hotbed 
of  theosophy,  gnosticism,  and  mysticism,  is  the 
natural  scene  of  one  of  the  most  striking  of  these 
experiments.  The  new  teachers  at  Colossae  care- 
fully refrain  from  saying  anything  directly  opposed 
to  the  gospel  of  Epaphras  (i.e.  of  Paul).  They 
merely  call  it  imperfect,  and  profess  to  be  able  to 
supplement  it.  They  know  the  way  to  lead  the 
Christian  beginner  onward  and  upward  to  perfec- 
tion. They  can  initiate  him  into  the  mysteries  of 
the  higher  life.  They  can  put  into  his  hand  the 
key  of  philosophy.     They  teach  him  that  as  the 


8     Westminster  New  Testament 

flesh  is  the  seat  of  sin,  it  must  be  mortified ;  strict 
dietary  rules  must  be  observed ;  the  festivals  of 
the  Mosaic  law  are  to  be  kept ;  and  in  general  life 
is  to  be  regulated  in  accordance  with  the  best 
human  traditions,  from  whatever  quarter  they  are 
borrowed.  As  the  Pauline  idea  of  God  is  so  one- 
sided, failing  to  explain  the  original  relation 
between  the  supreme  God  and  sinful  matter,  and 
so  to  lay  the  foundation  for  a  scheme  of  recon- 
ciliation, it  must  be  balanced  by  a  doctrine  of  the 
mediation  of  angels,  aeons,  or  elemental  spirits. 
The  gospel  which  Epaphras  has  preached  must 
be  supplemented  by  the  splendid  visions  of 
the  mystic  and  the  meritorious  practices  of  the 
ascetic.  Redemption  is  not  the  function  of  Christ 
alone ;  the  labour  is  divided  among  the  whole  host 
of  God's  angelic  ministers,  before  whom  men  must 
bow  in  trembling  adoration. 

Just  as  much  of  our  Lord's  teaching  was  elicited 
by  the  errors  of  His  disciples,  so  is  much  of  Paul's 
by  the  errors  of  the  churches.  The  doctrine  of 
Colossians  is  Christianity  reconceived  and  restated 
in  contact  with  the  philosophy  of  one  of  the 
centres  of  Greek  culture.  To  the  Gnostic  doctrine 
of  aeons  or  angels  the  writer  opposes  the  grandest 
and  fullest  conception  of  the  Person  of  Christ  that 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Bible.  Three  normative 
conceptions  he  presses  upon  the  minds  of  his 
readers — the  uniqueness  of  Christ's  personality, 
the  completeness  of  His  work,  the  finality  and 
perfection  of  His  revelation.  The  Colossians  seek  a 
true  idea  of  God — in  Christ  dwells  all  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead  ;  of  creation — Christ  is  the  original  of 
all  created  being,  including  the  angelic  orders ; 
of  history — all  things  are  from    Christ  and  unto 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   9 

Christ ;  of  redemption — believers  are  buried  with 
Christ  and  rise  with  Him  to  newness  of  life  ;  of 
atonement — Christ  has  by  the  blood  of  His  cross 
won  the  sinner's  peace.  They  seek  a  philosophy 
— in  Christ  are  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  hidden  ; 
a  higher  life — it  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God.  They 
seek  initiation  into  all  mysteries — Christ  is  the 
open  Secret  of  the  universe.  They  desire  to  attain 
perfection — man  is  complete  in  Christ. 

Some  scholars  have  found  in  the  new  theology 
of  the  Colossian  Church  a  full-blown  Gnosticism. 
This  was  the  theory  of  the  founders  of  the 
Tubingen  school,  who  sought  to  bring  the  epistle 
down  to  the  middle  of  the  second  century.  But 
there  are  now  few  critics  who  do  not  accept  the 
Pauline  authorship  of  the  letter.  Some  writers — 
among  them  Hort,  Murray,  and  Peake — tiy  to 
explain  all  the  Colossian  errors  as  of  purely  Jewish 
origin.  But  it  was  strange  indeed  if  a  predomi- 
nantly Gentile  church,  surrounded  by  an  atmosphere 
of  mystic  theosophy,  never  came  under  the  spell 
of  any  ideas  save  those  of  Jewish  birth.  Most 
scholars  find  in  the  epistle  a  blend  of  Jewish  and 
semi-Gnostic  ideas  and  practices.  It  is  a  mistake  to 
suppose  that  the  power  of  the  Gnostics  began  in 
the  second  century.  "  The  Gnosticism  with  which 
Colossians  is  at  strife,"  says  Jiilicher,  ^^  is  even  older 
than  Christianity  itself.  The  false  teachers  could 
have  made  their  appearance  within  the  Christian 
Church  in  the  year  60  a.d.  just  as  easily  as  in  120." 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  PHILEMON. 

Among  the  writings  of  Paul  this  little  letter  is 
unique  as  a  message  to  a  dear  and  intimate  friend  on 


lo  Westminster  New  Testament 

a  purely  private  matter.  The  apostle  must  have 
dictated  many  such  letters  in  the  course  of  his 
long  life,  and  how  much  we  should  give  for  a 
volume  containing  the  Private  Correspondence  of 
St.  Paul !  The  Pastoral  Epistles  are  also  addressed 
to  individuals,  but  they  are — at  least  in  their 
present  form — for  the  most  part  official,  dealing 
with  the  affairs  of  the  Church  at  large.  But 
Philemon  is  quite  unecclesiastical.  It  is  a  tenderly 
human  document,  so  charming  in  style,  so  courteous 
in  tone,  so  gracious  and  genial  in  spirit,  so  instinct 
with  the  noblest  sentiments  of  brotherhood,  that  it 
is  universally  regarded  as  one  of  the  purest  gems  of 
early  Christian  literature. 

Brief  as  it  is,  Philemon  is  suggestive  of  the 
mighty  social  revolution  which  Christianity  was 
just  beginning  to  effect  throughout  the  Roman 
Empire.  It  wafts  to  us  the  breath  of  a  new  life  ; 
it  speaks  with  the  voice  of  a  dawning  era ;  it 
flashes  light  upon  new  and  undreamed-of  horizons 
of  thought  and  action.  It  enables  us  partly  to 
reconstruct  a  thrilling  tale  of  the  wonderful  days 
of  the  first  contact  and  conflict  between  the 
Christian  faith  and  the  old-world  paganism.  Farrar 
in  his  historical  romance.  Darkness  cmd  Dmvn,  and 
Abbott  in  his  Onesimus,  have  let  their  imagination 
play  round  the  attractive  theme. 

Philemon  was  a  gentleman  of  Colossae  whose 
mind  had  been  awakened  by  the  preaching  of  Paul 
(ver.  19).  Probably  his  conversion  occurred  during 
the  apostle's  great  mission  in  Ephesus,  when  '^^all 
who  dwelt  in  Asia  heard  the  word  of  the  Lord." 
After  the  decisive  change  we  find  him  so  earnest  in 
Christian  service  that  Paul  joyfully  thinks  of  him  as 
a  fellow-labourer  (ver.  1).     He  converts  his  pagan 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   n 

house  into  a  Christian  home.  He  transforms  the 
largest  room  of  it  into  a  church,  which  his  warm 
invitations  and  welcomes  soon  fill  with  worshippers. 
He  devotes  his  wealth  to  hospitality  and  charity.  He 
delights  to  prepare  a  prophet's  chamber  for  any 
messenger  of  Christ.  Many  a  saint  has  cause  to 
bless  him  for  his  ovei*flowing  goodness. 

Onesimus  was  one  of  Philemon's  slaves.  He 
WTonged  his  master — apparently  he  robbed  him — 
and  fled  to  Rome  in  the  hope  of  escaping  detection. 
There  he  came  in  contact  with  Paul,  whose  name 
had  been  familiar  to  him  in  his  Colossian  home, 
whom  he  may  even  have  seen  and  heard  during 
the  Ephesian  mission.  Whether  he  met  the  apostle 
by  chance,  or  sought  him  out  when  his  ill-gotten 
goods  were  squandered  and  his  poverty  brought 
him  to  himself,  we  are  not  told.  But  that  meeting 
was  evidently  the  turning-point  of  his  life.  What 
Paul  told  him  of  the  love  of  Christ  and  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins  made  him  a  new  man,  and  from  that 
time  he  began  to  minister  to  the  apostle  with  the 
fond  devotion  of  a  spiritual  son.  Paul  on  his  side 
became  so  attached  to  his  convert  that  he  found  it 
extremely  difficult  to  part  with  him.  He  felt  that  to 
take  away  Onesimus  would  be  like  tearing  out  his 
own  heart.  But  there  was  a  question  of  conscience 
involved  in  the  matter.  Paul  saw  that  not  only  in 
justice  to  Philemon  but  in  kindness  to  Onesimus 
he  must  make  the  sacrifice  which  was  so  hard. 
Repentance  must  be  followed  by  reparation. 
Onesimus  understood,  and  consented  to  return  to 
his  master.  But  Paul  did  not  send  him  back 
empty-handed.  He  gave  him  this  charming  note  of 
recommendation,  which  brings  us  face  to  face  with 
the  apostle  not  as  a  theologian,  a  controversialist,  a 


12  Westminster  New  Testament 

missionaiy,  but  as  a  warm-hearted  Christian  gentle- 
man opening  his  inmost  heart  to  a  loved  and 
trusted  friend. 

The  letter  reveals  the  power  of  Christianity  to 
equalise  all  social  conditions  and  unify  all  types  of 
character.  Paul,  Philemon,  and  Onesimus  represent 
the  Jew,  the  Greek,  and  the  Barbarian.  The  proud 
Pharisee,  the  cultured  pagan,  and  the  Phrygian 
slave  come  each  under  the  spell  of  the  Nazarene ; 
their  differences  are  conjured  away,  and  they  kiss 
each  other  as  brothers.  Those  who  are  one  in 
Christ  cannot  but  love  one  another.  They  glory 
in  the  sense  of  new  relationships ;  they  are  all 
members  of  God's  family  of  love  ;  they  use  the  sweet 
language  of  brotherhood  in  its  pristine  freshness. 
Paul  thinks  of  Philemon  as  ^'^our  beloved  "  (ver.  1), 
and  twice  addresses  him  as  "  brother  "  (vers.  7,  20). 
Onesimus  is  his  ^^ child"  (ver.  10),  or  his  "brother 
beloved  "  (ver.  l6).  Paul  knows  that  Philemon  will 
receive  Onesimus  back  as  "a  brother  beloved" 
(ver.  l6).  Twice  he  speaks  of  Philemon's  already 
proved  "  love  "  (vers.  5,  7),  and  now  he  makes  his 
special  appeal  to  him  in  the  great  name  of  ^'  love  " 
(ver.  9).  "  For  love's  sake  "  is  the  keynote  of  the 
epistle.     Amor  omnia  vincit. 

Some  readers  of  the  epistle  cannot  help  wondering 
that  Paul  sent  a  fugitive  slave  back  to  his  master, 
and  never  advised  him,  nor  any  of  the  servile 
class  to  which  he  belonged,  to  claim  their  liberty. 
The  early  Church,  however,  was  greatly  wise  in 
its  attitude  toward  the  social  and  political  problems 
of  the  time.  Paul  has  none  of  the  spirit  of  a 
revolutionary.  He  never  criticises  or  satirises  the 
social  institutions  of  the  Empire.  He  is  always 
eager  to  show  that  Christianity  is  consistent  with 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   13 

good  citizenship.  At  a  time  when  every  second 
person  living  is  a  bond-servant  he  counsels  patient 
submission.  He  bids  the  slaves  of  heathen  masters 
remain  as  they  are.  He  does  not  even  ask 
Philemon^  a  Christian  master,  to  set  his  slave  free. 
As  Lightfoot  finely  says,  "  the  word  emancipation 
seems  to  tremble  on  his  lips,  but  it  is  never  uttered." 
Had  submission  not  been  preached  by  the  apostles 
and  enforced  by  their  example,  the  new  religion 
must  have  ended  in  a  splash  of  blood.  But  Chris- 
tianity never  set  class  against  class.  Its  blessings 
were  for  men  of  all  ranks  and  conditions.  Its 
reforms  were  not  violently  imposed  from  without. 
It  worked  from  within.  It  quietly  prepared  the 
way  for  immense  social  changes  by  changing  men's 
lives.  It  gave  bondmen  spiritual  liberty,  which  is 
sooner  or  later  followed  by  every  other  kind  of 
liberty.  It  sent  Onesimus  back  to  his  master  ^^  no 
longer  as  a  slave,  but  more  than  a  slave,  a  brother 
beloved"  (ver.  l6).  Godet  is  therefore  justified 
after  all  in  calling  this  epistle  "  the  first  petition 
in  favour  of  the  abolition  of  slavery." 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  EPHESIANS. 

It  is  practically  certain  that  this  epistle  was  not 
written  to  the  Ephesians  alone.  Three  things  have 
convinced  all  scholars  that  there  must  have  been 
other  readers.  (1)  The  letter  has  no  local  colour 
and  no  personal  greetings.  Paul  spent  three  most 
strenuous  years  in  Ephesus,  he  founded  the  church 
of  that  city,  he  left  behind  him  many  converts  and 
intimate  friends,  and  it  is  inconceivable  that  he 
should  have  written  them  without  recalling  any 
fond  memories  or  sending  any  affectionate  saluta- 


14  Westminster  New  Testament 

tions.  The  writer  of  the  epistle  warms  to  his 
theme^  but  not  to  his  readers.  He  gives  no  ex- 
pression to  his  inner  feeUngs ;  he  never  breaks 
through  his  official  reserve.  Ephesians  is  the  most 
detached  and  Catholic  epistle  he  ever  wrote.  How 
he  ivould  have  addressed  the  Ephesians  had  he 
been  writing  to  them  alone,  is  sufficiently  indicated 
by  his  heart-to-heart  utterance  to  the  Ephesian 
elders  in  Acts  xx.  A  message  intended  exclusively 
for  Ephesus  would  have  been  at  least  as  exuber- 
antly personal  as  the  letters  to  the  Corinthians  and 
Philippians.  (2)  There  are  passages  in  which  the 
apostle  writes  as  to  readers  who  are  unknown  to 
him.  He  speaks  of  "having  heard"  of  their  faith 
(1.  15);  he  presumes  that  they  "have  heard"  of 
his  stewardship  (iii.  2) ;  and  he  hopes  that  they 
have  "heard  Christ"  (iv.  21).  He  could  never 
have  written  thus  to  the  Ephesians.  (3)  The  words 
"  at  Ephesus  "  in  i.  1  are  omitted  by  many  ancient 
authorities.  The  oldest  and  best  MSS,  the  Sinaitic 
and  the  Vatican,  both  read  "  to  the  saints  who  are, 
and  to  the  faithful."  Origen  in  the  third  century, 
Basil  in  the  fourth,  and  Jerome  in  the  fifth,  all 
testify  that  this  was  the  prevailing  reading. 
Marcion,  writing  in  the  second  century,  had  before 
him  a  MS.  which  read  "  to  the  saints  who  are  at 
Laodicea."  Now  we  find  that  when  Paul  writes 
his  letter  to  the  Colossians,  he  bids  them  "  likewise 
read  the  epistle  from  Laodicea"  (Col.  iv.  16).  He 
does  not  call  it  "the  epistle  to  the  Laodiceans,"  as 
if  he  had  written  a  letter  expressly  for  them.  It 
is  a  letter  which  is  to  come  to  the  Colossians  via 
Laodicea,  and  it  is  a  very  plausible  conjecture  that 
"  the  epistle  from  Laodicea  "  is  no  other  than  the 
so-called  "  epistle  to  the  Ephesians."     With  these 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   15 

three  sets  of  facts  in  view,  nearly  all  scholars  now 
lean  to  the  hypothesis,  first  suggested  by  Beza  and 
afterwards  popularised  by  Ussher,  that  this  is  a 
Circular  Letter  (or  Encyclical)  addressed  to  a 
group  of  churches  in  Proconsular  Asia.  Probably 
the  original  letter  contained  a  blank  space  in  the 
opening  verse  :  "  to  the  saints  which  are  .  .  .  and 
to  the  faithful."  Either  a  copy  was  sent  to  each 
church  with  its  name  inserted,  or  else  (as  Hort 
prefers  to  think)  the  original  went  the  round  of 
the  churches,  and  a  fresh  name  was  filled  in  by 
the  bearer  and  reader  (probably  Tychicus)  in  each 
place  which  he  visited. 

There  are  numerous  affinities  between  Ephesians 
and  Colossians.  The  themes,  the  language,  and 
the  structure  of  the  two  epistles  are  to  a  great 
extent  the  same.  There  are  155  verses  in 
Ephesians,  and  78  of  them  contain  phrases  to 
which  parallels  can  be  found  in  Colossians.  ''  The 
riches  of  His  glory,"  "the  fulness,"  "the  old 
man,"  "  circumcision  not  made  with  hands," 
are  specimens.  Both  epistles  dwell  on  the  glory 
of  Christ's  Person  and  His  mystic  union  with 
the  Church.  Both  enforce,  often  in  identical 
terms,  the  practical  duties  of  the  Christian 
life.  Some  scholars  think  that  the  epistles  must 
be  the  work  of  two  different  writers,  the  second 
of  whom  borrowed  largely,  in  somewhat  slavish 
fashion,  from  the  first.  But  there  is  a  much  simpler 
and  more  natural  hypothesis.  The  many  coin- 
cidences in  the  two  letters  are  most  easily  and 
satisfactorily  accounted  for  on  the  assumption  that 
Ephesians  was  composed  and  dictated  while  the 
apostle's  mind  was  still  saturated  with  the  ideas 
and    expressions  of  the  letter   to   the    Colossians. 


i6  Westminster  New  Testament 

"  Conceived  at  the  same  time,  in  the  same  spirit, 
they  seem  to  us  like  twin  sisters,  that  suffer  from 
separation,  each  of  them  complete  only  when  the 
other  is  beside  her"  (Sabatier). 

Still  there  are  important  differences  between 
the  two  epistles  which  must  not  be  overlooked. 
Colossians  is  polemic,  Ephesians  eirenic  ;  Colossians 
concise,  Ephesians  diffuse ;  Colossians  local, 
Ephesians  Catholic  ;  Colossians  personal,  Ephesians 
abstract ;  Colossians  logical,  Ephesians  meditative. 
In  Colossians  the  stress  is  laid  on  Christ's  relation 
to  the  cosmos,  in  Ephesians  on  His  relation  to  the 
Church.  In  Colossians  Christ  is  the  Fulness  of 
God,  in  Ephesians  the  Church  is  the  Fulness  of 
Christ  and  of  God.  The  idea  of  "  the  Heavenlies," 
which  is  so  prominent  and  recurrent  in  Ephesians, 
is  absent  from  Colossians.  There  are  striking  pas- 
sages in  Ephesians — those  on  predestination,  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  contrast  between  light 
and  darkness,  the  mystery  of  Christian  marriage, 
the  panoply  of  Cxod — which  have  no  parallels 
in  the  earlier  and  shorter  letter.  Ephesians 
has  many  O.T.  allusions,  Colossians  scarcely  any. 

Ephesians  is  par  excellence  the  epistle  of  the 
Church.  It  was  written  in  Rome,  and  we  cannot 
fail  to  note  the  influence  of  Roman  ideas  on 
the  mind  of  Paul.  He  was  proud  of  his  Roman 
citizenship,  and  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  '^  that 
he  conceived  the  great  idea  of  Christianity  as  the 
religion  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  that  he  thought 
of  the  various  districts  and  countries  to  which  he 
had  preached  as  parts  of  the  grand  unity " 
(Ramsay).  His  creative  genius  laid  down  the 
lines  on  which  Church  history  was  to  move.  The 
Rome  of  the  Caesars  fired  his  imagination  and  made 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   17 

his  thinking  imperial ;  it  gave  him  a  mould  from 
which  he  drew  the  idea  of  a  universal  spiritual 
empire ;  it  enabled  him  to  visualise  Christ's  con- 
ception of  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  As  an 
apostle  he  had  long  been  engaged  in  empire- 
building  ;  he  had  been  capturing  and  claiming 
province  after  province  for  Christ ;  he  had  been 
gathering  into  a  grand  unity  all  that  was  best  and 
noblest  in  the  Roman  world.  And  now  he  depicts  in 
glowing  colours  the  ideal  Church  which  has  gradually 
been  taking  definite  shape  in  his  mind.  Ephesians 
is  the  paean  of  the  Church ;  it  has  been  called  "  a 
creed  rising  into  an  impassioned  psalm."  It  welds 
all  local  churches  into  one  holy  catholic  Church  ;  it 
bids  us  contemplate  a  world-wide  spiritual  kingdom, 
a  new  humanity  in  Christ  Jesus.  And  its  style  is 
in  perfect  harmony  with  the  grandeur  of  its 
themes.  Luther  calls  it  the  noblest  epistle  of  the 
New  Testament,  Coleridge  thinks  it  is  ''  one  of  the 
divinest  compositions  of  man." 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  PHILIPPIANS, 

In  42  B.C.  the  plain  of  Philippi  was  the  scene  of 
one  of  the  decisive  battles  of  the  world.  There  the 
old  Roman  Republic  made  its  last  stand.  Brutus  and 
Cassius  fell,  and  imperialism  triumphed.  Philippi 
was  thereafter  a  sacred  name  to  Augustus.  He 
raised  the  city  to  the  dignity  and  privilege  of  a 
colony,  half  filling  it  with  Roman  veterans,  so  that 
it  became  a  miniature  Rome.  About  a  century 
later,  in  50  (Turner)  or  52  (Harnack)  a.d.,  it  was 
visited  by  the  first  ambassadors  of  Christ.  Outside 
the  city  gates  at  a  quiet  prayer-meeting,  and 
within  the  prison  walls  after  a  crashing  earthquake, 

2 


i8  Westminster  New  Testament 

Paul  won  his  first  European  converts,  and  amid 
experiences  of  joy  and  pain,  trial  and  triumph,  the 
Philippian  Church  was  founded  (Acts  xvi.). 

No  church  ever  gave  Paul  the  same  unalloyed 
satisfaction.     In  no  part  of  the  Empire  were  there 
converts  whom  he  found  such  comfort    in  revisit- 
ing, or  to  whom  he  had  such  delight  in  writing. 
The    Philippians    had    evidently    noble    qualities 
before  they  became  Christians.     The  Macedonian 
natives  and    the  Roman  colonists  were   alike  fine 
types  of  manhood.     They  preserved  the    simpler 
manners  of  an  earlier  time.     They  were  truthful 
and  honest,   sane   and   serious.     They  understood 
the   sacredness    of    a    promise.     It   was    not    for 
nothing  that  many  of  them  had  taken  the  oath  of 
allegiance    (the    sacramentum)    to     Caesar.      They 
brought  their  instincts  of  loyalty  into  the  Church. 
Their    Christianity    was    a    new    allegiance    and 
devotion.       It    did     more    than    enlighten    their 
understandings,  it  laid  hold  of  their  hearts.     They 
were   not  very  easily  impressed,   but   when   they 
were  once  moved   and  won  they  were  absolutely 
faithful.      Galatia  was    foolish    and  fickle,  Corinth 
factious   and  giddy,  Colossae  fanciful  and  dreamy, 
but    Philippi    stood   fast   like   a    Roman   phalanx. 
From  first  to  last   the    Christians  of  that    church 
seem  never  to  have  given  Paul  an  anxious  thought. 
No  wonder  he  calls  them  his  ^'^  joy  and  crown." 

Paul  showed  his  confidence  in  the  Philippians 
by  accepting  at  their  hands  favours  which  he 
received  from  no  other  church.  His  rule  was  to 
refuse  gifts  of  money  for  himself,  though  he  spent 
not  a  little  time  in  collecting  alms  for  others, 
especially  for  the  poor  saints  in  Jerusalem.  He 
knew  how  likely  the  acceptance  of  gifts  was  to  be 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   19 

misunderstood.  He  could  not  run  the  risk  of  ap- 
pearing to  be  mercenary.  But  he  made  an  exception 
in  the  case  of  the  Philippians.  He  felt  that  they 
were  too  noble  to  think  evil.  For  them  it  was 
blessed  to  give^  and  he  would  not  deny  them  the 
pleasure.  Once  and  again  he  gratefully  accepted 
their  ungrudging  gifts.  They  made  themselves  a 
name  for  liberality  (2  Cor.  viii.  1-4).  They 
proved  how  well  poverty  and  generosity  may  go 
hand  in  hand.  To  Thessalonica  and  to  Corinth 
their  messengers  had  already  come  with  their 
bounty  (Phil.  iv.  l6 ;  2  Cor.  xi.  9).  But  their 
latest  offering  was  especially  grateful  to  the 
apostle,  for  it  came  when  his  need  was  the  sorest. 
He  was  a  captive,  he  was  growing  old,  and  his  hands, 
once  so  cunning,  could  now  do  nothing  to  support 
him.  Epaphroditus  made  a  journey  of  700  miles,  over 
land  and  sea,  to  bring  the  gift  of  the  Philippians. 
In  his  lonely  prison  Paul  was  deeply  moved,  and 
ere  long  he  poured  all  his  feelings  of  gratitude  into 
the  most  affectionate  letter  he  ever  wrote. 

The  place  and  time  of  the  writing  of  Philippians 
can  be  detei*mined  by  internal  evidence.  The 
writer  is  a  prisoner  who  is  expecting  a  speedy 
termination  of  his  case.  His  appeal  to  Caesar  is 
about  to  be  finally  disposed  of.  He  has  probably 
— this  is  Mommsen's  view — already  appeared  once 
before  his  judges.  He  knows  that  the  second 
hearing  will  be  decisive.  His  long  years  of  wear- 
ing suspense  will  soon  be  over.  The  issue  may  be 
life  or  it  may  be  death ;  at  any  rate  it  will  be  an 
end.  This  situation  clearly  implies  that  the 
epistle  was  written  at  Rome,  not  at  Caesarea,  and 
towards  the  close  rather  than  near  the  beginning  of 
the  Roman  captivity.     It  also  warrants  the  infer- 


20   Westminster  New  Testament 

ence  that  Philippians  was  chronologically  later  than 
Colossians  and  Ephesians,  which  were  not  written 
under  the  same  sense  of  imminent  crisis^  and  which 
foreboded  no  fatal  issue.  The  arguments  adduced 
by  Bleek^  Lightfoot,  and  Hort  for  the  priority  of 
Philippians  are  now  almost ;  abandoned.  It  is 
true  there  is  a  greater  likeness  between  Romans 
and  Philippians  than  between  Romans  and  the 
twin  letters  of  Colossians  and  Ephesians.  But 
this  is  only  what  we  should  expect^  for  Philippi 
was  a  miniature  Rome,  while  Colossse  and  Ephesus 
were  Asiatic  to  the  core.  It  is  also  true  that 
Philippians  bears  no  marks  of  the  stress  or  strain 
under  which  Colossians  and  Ephesians  were  written. 
But  Paul  was  an  author  who  wrote  with  his  eye  on 
the  matter  in  hand.  He  had  a  great  mind's  power 
of  detachment  and  concentration.  He  must  have 
instinctively  felt  that  it  would  be  equally  irrelevant 
and  perplexing  to  trouble  the  simple,  practical 
Philippians  with  the  heresies  of  the  subtle  Gnostics 
and  morbid  ascetics  of,  the  Orient.  If  ever  the 
subject  crossed  his  mind  at  all  during  the  com- 
position of  the  later  epistle,  he  had  good  reasons 
for  deliberately  avoiding  it. 

Philippians  has  been  designated  the  most 
epistolary  of  all  the  epistles.  That  means  that  it 
is  a  real  letter  of  hearty  fellowship  and  friendship. 
One  might  call  it  a  love-letter.  The  writer  does 
not  feel  like  an  apostle,  and  does  not  call  himself 
one.  He  and  Timothy  are  just  what  his  readers 
are — bond-servants  of  Christ  Jesus.  He  cannot 
keep  up  his  official  dignity  among  brethren  who 
have  always  loved  him  with  such  a  whole-hearted 
devotion.  He  sends  them  a  letter  which  is  quite 
untrammelled  by  any  idea  of  method.    He  expresses 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles  21 

himself  not  as  a  theological  teacher,  but  as  a 
familiar  friend.  Jowett  says  that  Paul's  epistles 
read  like  good  conversation,  and  here  the  remark 
is  especially  true.  Pacing  up  and  down  his  Roman 
prison,  dictating  to  his  amanuensis,  Paul  speaks  as 
if  he  were  face  to  face  with  his  beloved  converts, 
talking  to  them  as  a  father  or  an  elder  brother. 
Epaphroditus  listens  and  his  heart  glows,  for  he 
knows  what  a  priceless  treasure  he  will  have  to 
carry  back  to  Philippi. 

Philippians  is  distinctively  the  epistle  of  Christian 
joy.  As  Bengel  says,  "  Summa  epistolce,  Gaudeo, 
gaudete."  Now  and  again  the  tone  becomes  some- 
what pensive,  and  there  are  passages  of  unstudied 
pathos  which  the  Philippians  can  scarcely  have 
read  with  dry  eyes.  But  the  dominant  note 
always  rings  out  again  strong  and  clear.  Nor 
is  this  joy  a  mere  passing  emotion  —  "joy  whose 
hand  is  ever  at  his  lips  bidding  adieu."  It  is 
a  happiness  whose  source  is  perennial  and  in- 
exhaustible ;  a  joy  in  the  Lord,  which  is  joy  for 
ever. 

The  letter  flows  on  to  the  end  in  an  almost  con- 
tinuous stream  of  praise.  In  Philippi  there  has 
been  no  denial  of  the  faith,  no  perversion  of  the 
gospel,  no  incursion  of  deadly  error.  No  notes  of 
anger,  pain,  and  'alarm  are  therefore  heard  in  this 
letter.  No  church,  however,  is  perfect,  and  Paul, 
acknowledging  his  own  imperfection  (iii.  12), 
keeps  the  highest  ideal  before  himself  and  his 
brethren.  If  there  are  some  little  frictions  and 
jealousies  at  Philippi,  the  Spirit  of  Christ  will 
surely  restore  the  rivals — two  ladies  are  named 
— to  harmony  and  love.  And  if  there  is  in  this 
church    some    of    the    old     Roman    and     Mace- 


22   Westminster  New  Testament 

donian  hauteur,  some  of  the  not  unnatural  pride 
of  conquering  races,  Paul  knows  an  infallible 
corrective.  Vain-glory  is  humbled  and  abashed  in 
the  presence  of  Christ  Jesus,  the  Highest  who 
stooped  to  be  crucified.  Thus  incidentally  is 
introduced  the  magnificent  passage  on  the  Per- 
son of  Christ,  containing  the  fullest  statement 
to  be  found  in  the  Bible  of  His  humiliation 
and  consequent  exaltation  (ii.  5-11).  It  is  not 
a  paragraph  in  a  theological  treatise,  it  is  part 
of  a  touching  and  earnest  plea  for  lowliness  of 
mind. 

The  Pauline  authorship  of  Philippians  is  now 
scarcely  questioned.  Renan,  Pfleiderer,  and  the 
other  radical  critics  accept  it  as  genuine.  Von 
Manen  stands  almost  alone  in  his  doubts.  He 
thinks  that  all  is  confused  so  long  as  one  regards 
this  epistle  as  an  actual  letter  written  in  all 
simplicity  and  sent  by  Paul,  the  prisoner  in  Rome, 
to  his  old  friends  in  Philippi.  It  is  really  a  letter 
of  edifying  composition.  The  "  Philippians  "  are 
early  Christians  of  the  good  old  time,  to  which 
a  new  generation  may  with  benefit  have  their 
attention  directed.  The  real  author,  who  made  a 
conscious  effort  to  reproduce  the  Pauline  manner, 
lived  in  Syria  or  Asia  Minor  about  the  3^ear 
125  A.D.  On  this  theory  he  must  have  been  an 
astonishing  literary  artist,  with  a  depth  of  insight 
and  a  delicacy  of  feeling  almost  without  a  parallel. 
One  is  sorry  he  has  hid  his  name.  But  the  theory 
is  quite  unnecessary.  Not  a  single  idea  can  be 
shown  to  be  unpauline ;  and  the  sincerity  of  the 
letter  is  not  the  art  which  carefully  conceals  art, 
but  the  simplicity  of  nature. 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles  23 


THE  PASTORAL  EPISTLES. 

When  we  pass  from  the  epistles  of  the  third 
Pauline  group  to  those  of  the  fourth,  we  are  at 
once  conscious  of  a  startling  change.  We  breathe 
another  air,  we  look  on  new  scenes,  we  hear  the 
unmistakable  voices  of  a  diiferent  life.  Before 
we  refer  to  the  question  of  the  authorship  of  these 
epistles,  let  us  note  certain  common  characteristics 
which  quickly  arrest  our  attention. 

(1)  The  language  and  style  of  the  Pastorals  are 
noteworthy.  There  is  a  new  vocabulary.  About 
one-fifth  of  the  words — 176  out  of  896 — are 
found  nowhere  else  in  the  N.T.  Latinisms  are 
especially  remarkable.  The  syntax  is  also  new. 
Paul's  familiar  dialectical  particles,  "  so  then  "  and 
"therefore,"  are  absent.  This  indicates  a  want 
of  logical  connection  and  organic  unity  in  the 
thoughts  of  the  writer.  The  letters  consist  of  a 
series  of  detached  passages  on  a  great  variety  of 
subjects.  They  have  not  the  mystic  inwardness, 
the  spiritual  depth,  the  intellectual  force  and  grip 
of  the  earlier  letters.  They  contain  no  new 
doctrines,  no  fresh  ethical  principles.  They  are 
conservative  and  imitative  rather  than  original. 
They  lack  the  fire  and  energy  of  creative  work. 

(2)  These  epistles  contain  an  earnest  but  an 
unreasoned  defence  of  Pauline  doctrine.  Their 
Christianity  is  the  religion  of  orthodox  piety. 
Their  essential  requirement  is  soundness  in  the 
faith.  They  say  much  of  the  sin  of  "departing 
from  the  faith,"  "erring  from  the  faith."  And 
here  faith,  instead  of  being  the  moral  energy  which 
lays  hold  of  the  living  Christ,  is  crystallising  into 
a   creed.      The   emphasis   always   falls    either   on 


24   Westminster  New  Testament 

^'  sound  doctrine  "  (which  occurs  eight  times)  and 
^'^ teaching"  (fourteen  times),  or  on  ^^ piety" 
(eleven  times).  The  Christian's  duty  is  to  be 
grave  (six  times)  and  sober  (ten  times),  to  avoid 
the  things  that  are  unsettling,  and  give  heed  to 
those  that  tend  to  godly  edifying.  He  shuns  all 
foolish  speculations  as  unprofitable  and  vain.  And 
the  method  of  meeting  opponents  and  objectors 
is  new.  Instead  of  receiving  a  full  and  convincing 
answer,  they  are  branded  as  heretics. 

(3)  Some  of  the  most  characteristic  Pauline 
doctrines  are  conspicuously  absent.  The  Pastorals 
say  nothing  of  the  sonship  of  believers,  of  recon- 
ciliation to  God,  of  the  vital  union  of  Christians 
with  Christ.  Paul's  monogram,  In  Christ,  is 
entirely  wanting.  The  brooding  sense  of  a  mystic 
presence,  an  indwelling  power,  is  foreign  to  the 
writer's  habit  of  mind.  Spiritual  gifts,  which 
constituted  the  life  and  strength  of  the  earlier 
Church,  are  reduced  in  the  Pastorals  to  a  single 
gift  (charisiJi),  which  is  imparted,  not  to  all 
believers  but  only  to  the  preacher,  and  that  by  the 
laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery.  This  mode 
of  spiritual  communication  would  have  been  incon- 
ceivable at  Corinth,  first  because  there  was  no 
presbytery,  and  second  because  the  divine  fire  fell 
on  all  believers  alike  without  any  human  media- 
tion. While  the  earlier  epistles  emphasised  the 
law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus,  the 
Pastorals  lay  greater  stress  on  painstaking  ''  good 
works  "  (fourteen  times),  and  give  a  new  prominence 
to  the  ideas  of  merit  and  reward. 

(4)  The  spirit  of  the  Pastorals  is  ecclesiastical 
rather  than  missionary.  The  burning  question 
of  the  day  is  the  salvation  of  the  churches  rather 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles  25 

than  the  winning  of  souls.  The  problem  of  foreign 
conquest  gives  precedence  to  that  of  home  defence. 
A  solid  bulwark  must  be  erected  to  stem  the 
invasion  of  false  doctrine.  The  Church  calls  for 
sober,  grave,  godly  men  who  can  be  trusted  to 
stand  in  the  old  paths  and  maintain  the  old 
traditions.  Every  community  must  have  its  com- 
pany of  "overseers"  who  will  act  as  a  vigilance 
committee.  The  flock  of  God  needs  anxious 
shepherding  in  these  perilous  times  of  worldli- 
ness,  apostasy,  and  false  doctrine.  Something  of 
the  old  feeling  of  confidence  is  gone,  and  a  spirit 
of  alarm  has  come  into  the  air.  But  it  is  hoped 
that  if  the  Church  is  duly  officered  and  disciplined, 
she  will  still  be  strong  enough  to  cope  with  all 
her  adversaries.  Accordingly  the  whole  Christian 
life  is  brought  under  the  control  of  ecclesiastical  law. 
Organisation  takes  the  place  of  inspiration.  The 
authority  of  the  Church  is  substituted  for  the 
omnipotence  of  the  Spirit.  The  age  of  the  prophet 
is  past,  that  of  the  bishop  and  deacon  is  come. 

(5)  The  author  of  the  Pastorals  advocates  a 
statelier  church  service.  He  limits  the  office  of 
preaching  and  teaching,  which  in  the  dawning  era 
of  Christianity  was  open  to  all,  to  the  clergy, 
not  only  for  the  maintenance  of  sound  doctrine, 
but  for  the  more  solemn  and  dignified  worship 
of  God.  He  is  a  lover  of  beautiful  forms.  He 
preserves  some  lovely  fragments  of  early  Church 
hymns  and  creeds,  and  a  number  of  admirable 
aphorisms — faithful  sayings — which  he  and  other 
preachers  were  in  the  habit  of  using.  He  pre- 
scribes prayers,  evidently  of  the  nature  of  a 
liturgy,  for  kings  and  all  men,  and  he  requires 
earnest   attention   to   reading,   that   is,  the    litur- 


26  Westminster  New  Testament 

gical  reading  of  the  Old  Testament  and  probably 
of  portions  of  the  New.  His  religious  symbolism 
trembles  on  the  verge  of  realism.  He  calls  the 
font  the  laver  of  regeneration,  and  his  language 
suggests  that  the  imposition  of  hands  is  a  means 
of  conveying  grace. 

(6)  It  is  on  the  side  of  practical  piety  that  the 
writer  of  the  Pastorals  shows  to  greatest  advantage. 
His  epistles  form  a  manual  of  Christian  duty. 
He  is  no  deep  thinker  or  subtle  dialectician ;  he 
hates  controversy ;  he  is  impatient  of  theosophic 
discussion.  He  is  not  endowed  on  the  speculative 
or  mystic  sides.  But  in  the  sphere  of  ethics  he 
is  wise  and  sane.  One  of  his  favourite  words  is 
"  healthy/'  and  at  times  we  do  him  some  injustice 
by  translating  it  "  sound."  He  is  healthy-minded. 
He  is  as  far  removed  from  asceticism  on  the  one 
hand  as  from  antinomian  licence  on  the  other.  To 
him  it  is  morbid  not  to  marry,  not  to  eat  flesh, 
not  to  drink  wine.  He  has  no  patience  with  the 
vagaries  of  the  celibate,  the  vegetarian,  the 
ascetic  abstainer.  His  Christianity  is  the  consecra- 
tion of  the  natural.  He  loves  the  domestic  virtues, 
the  tranquil  life,  the  civic  order.  He  utterly  rejects 
the  prevailing  idea  that  matter  is  corrupt  and  the 
body  evil.  He  sees  the  essential  goodness  of 
eveiy thing  created  by  God.  He  is  of  the  Church 
of  those  who  believe  that 

"He  prayeth  best  who  loveth  best 
All  things  both  great  and  small ; 
For  the  dear  God  who  loveth  us. 
He  made  and  loveth  all." 

These  are  the  main  characteristics  of  the  Pastoral 
Epistles,  and  the  conclusion  which  the  majority 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles  27 

of  modern  scholars,  if  not  in  Britain,  at  least  on  the 
Continent,  feel  constrained  to  draw  from  a  mass  of 
internal  evidence  is  that  the  letters  as  a  whole 
are  Pauline,  but  not  Paul's.  They  were  probably 
written  by  one  of  his  followers,  an  earnest  con- 
tinuer  and  promoter  of  his  work,  about  the  end 
of  the  first  century  or  the  beginning  of  the  second, 
some  forty  years  after  Paul's  death.  Those  who 
are  familiar  with  the  literature  of  that  period  are 
constantly  reminded,  as  they  read  the  Pastorals, 
of  the  Didache,  of  Clement  of  Rome,  of  Barnabas, 
of  Polycarp.  The  Pastorals  are,  with  all  their 
limitations,  morally  and  spiritually  far  richer  than 
any  of  these  writings,  but  the  historical  situation 
which  they  reflect  is  practically  the  same. 

It  is,  however,  exceedingly  probable  that  the 
Pastorals  are  based  on  letters  of  the  apostle  to  his 
comrades  Timothy  and  Titus,  and  that  some  con- 
siderable portions  of  his  own  work  have  been  pre- 
served in  them.  2  Timothy  is  the  most  personal, 
least  official,  of  the  three,  and  chaps,  i.  9-11^ 
ii.  1,  8-13,  and  iv.,  except  verses  3,  4,  have  the 
true  Pauline  ring.  In  Titus  the  following  passages 
seem  to  form  the  apostolic  framework :  i.  1-9, 
10-16,  iii.  1-7,  12-13.  1  Timothy  is  the  least  like 
Paul's  own  work.  Whatever  was  the  order  of 
the  original  letters,  it  seems  certain  that  the 
added  portions  of  2  Timothy  are  considerably 
older  than  those  of  Titus,  which  again  are  prior 
to  those  of  1  Timothy.  The  errors  of  2  Timothy 
are  less  sharply  defined  than  those  of  the  other 
two  epistles,  and  the  institutions  of  Titus  are  less 
fully  developed  than  those  of  1  Timothy.  It 
cannot  be  said  that  in  2  Timothy  "faith"  ever 
unquestionably  signifies  a  creed  that  is  received. 


28  Westminster  New  Testament 

while  in  the  other  epistles  this  meaning  is  frequent. 
In  2  Timothy  the  word  ^^ Saviour"  is  used  of 
Christ,  in  Titus  of  Christ  and  God,  and  in 
1  Timothy  of  God  alone.  2  Timothy  in  its 
present  form  is  therefore  nearest  to,  1  Timothy 
farthest  from,  the  apostolic  tradition.  But  the 
additions  to  all  the  three  (or  more)  original 
letters  are  most  probably  from  the  same  hand. 
In  style,  diction,  and  contents  they  bear  the  unmis- 
takable mark  of  unity.  The  same  spirit  pervades 
them  all.  The  writer  is  not  a  Jew  but  a  Greek. 
He  speaks  of  Jewish  fables  as  an  outsider,  and  he 
does  not  quote  the  Old  Testament  in  the  Pauline 
manner.  The  Hebraic,  not  to  speak  of  the 
Rabbinic,  spirit  is  absent  from  his  writings.  His 
language  is  that  of  a  Greek  scholar.  His  style 
has  an  Athenian  ease.  His  religious  vocabulary 
is  largely  borrowed  from  the  thinkers  of  Greece. 
Several  of  his  ethical  terms  bear  the  hall-mark 
of  Stoicism.     His  sympathies  are  wholly  Gentile. 

"  We  need  not  doubt  that  the  disciple  was  aided 
by  the  same  Divine  Spirit  who  dwelt  in  the 
apostle  himself"  (Simcox).  He  writes  in  all  good 
faith.  Fragments  of  Paul's  correspondence  coming 
into  his  hands,  he  expands  them  in  the  light  of 
the  needs  of  his  own  time.  He  writes  from  what 
he  conceives  to  be  the  apostolic  standpoint.  He 
tries  to  merge  himself  in  the  personality  of  Paul, 
as  Plato  did  in  that  of  Socrates.  He  has  no 
literary  ambition,  no  motive  but  an  earnest  desire 
to  solve  the  difficult  problems  of  the  growing 
Gentile  Church  in  accordance  with  the  apostolic 
tradition.  He  gives  his  message  the  august 
sanction  and  support  of  his  master's  name.  Such 
phenomena  are  not  infrequent  in  Holy  Scriptures, 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles   29 

and  we  need  not  impugn  his  literary  ethics.  If 
it  was  not  quite  possible  for  him  to  wear  the 
mantle  of  the  greatest  of  the  apostles,  we  do  not 
wonder.  His  epistles  will  always  have  much  more 
than  a  historical  value,  for  they  contain  some  of 
the  devotional  treasures  of  the  Bible. 


THE  DEATH  OF  PAUL. 

It  was  at  one  time  almost  an  article  of  faith 
that  Paul  was  successful  in  his  appeal  to  Caesar, 
that  he  was  acquitted  by  his  Roman  judges,  that 
he  resumed  his  missionary  activity  in  various  parts 
of  the  Empire,  east  and  west,  and  that  he  enjoyed 
his  liberty  till  the  last  and  worst  period  of  Nero's 
rule,  when  he  was  again  arrested  and  tried,  and 
this  time  condemned  to  death.  Scholars  of  the 
eminence  of  Harnack  and  Ramsay  still  adhere  to 
this  hypothesis.  But  it  must  be  admitted  on 
examination  that  the  grounds  on  which  the  theory 
rests  are  but  very  slender.  The  famous  passage 
in  Clement  of  Rome  which  is  always  quoted  is 
inconclusive.  He  says  that  "  Paul,  having  taught 
the  whole  world  righteousness,  and  having  gone  to 
the  goal  of  the  West,  and  having  borne  witness 
before  the  rulers,  was  thus  released  from  this 
world  and  went  to  the  Holy  Place,  having  become 
the  supreme  example  of  patience."  "The  goal 
of  the  West"  muT/  be  Spain,  but  as  the  two 
succeeding  clauses  of  the  sentence  certainly 
refer  to  Rome,  that  interpretation  is  not  so 
probable  as  the  one  which  makes  the  metropolis 
itself  the  westernmost  point  of  Paul's  career.  The 
Pastorals  make  no  allusion  to  a  tour  in  the  Western 
Mediterranean.      The   earliest    distinct   reference 


30  Westminster  New  Testament 

to  a  Spanish  journey  is  found  in  the  Muratorian 
Fragment,  written  in  the  end  of  the  second 
centur)^,  and  its  words  are  probably  no  more  than 
an  inference  that  the  hope  expressed  in  Rom.  xv. 
24,  28  was  reaUsed.  If  there  was  an  acquittal  and 
release,  Luke's  silence  on  the  point  is  all  but 
inexplicable.  It  is  clear  that  one  of  the  objects 
for  which  he  wrote  the  Acts  was  to  prove  by  a 
long  series  of  instances  that  Christianity  was 
favourably  received  by  the  Roman  authorities. 
The  narrative  of  Paul's  trial  and  acquittal  in  the 
earlier  and  better  days  of  Nero's  rule  would  have 
formed  the  crowning  example  of  this  favourable 
treatment,  and  the  force  of  the  argument  would 
have  been  in  no  way  diminished  by  a  change  of 
attitude  in  the  Emperor's  closing  period  of  mad 
misrule.  Sir  W.  Ramsay  is  driven  by  Luke's 
silence  to  the  hypothesis  that  the  historian  in- 
tended to  write  a  third  book  giving  an  account 
of  the  trial,  release,  and  later  missionary  labours 
of  the  apostle,  an  intention  which  he  was  unable 
to  carry  out.  But  if  there  never  was  an  acquittal, 
the  conclusion  of  the  Acts  is  perfectly  natural. 
Clement's  well-known  words  that  the  Neronic 
martyrs  (of  64<  a.d.)  were  "gathered  unto  Paul 
and  Peter"  imply  that  the  latter  had  previously 
won  the  martyr's  crown.  The  silence  of  all  the 
writers  of  the  first  two  centuries  on  Paul's  release 
and  after-work  is  equally  hard  to  account  for. 
The  Apologists  for  Christianity,  who  were  so 
earnest  in  their  endeavour  to  prove  their  faith 
innocent  and  harmless,  could  have  found  no  more 
convincing  argument  than  the  famous  trial  and 
triumphant  acquittal  of  Paul  by  the  highest  Roman 
tribunal.     But  on  this  point  not  one  of  them  has 


Captivity  and  Pastoral  Epistles  31 

a  word  to  say.  The  Pastoral  Epistles  are  really 
the  only  foundation  for  the  theory  of  a  release. 
In  their  present  shape  they  certainly  cannot  be 
placed  in  the  time  covered  by  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  But  as  historical  criticism  makes  it 
probable  that  the  greater  part  of  these  epistles  is 
post-apostolic,  and  that  the  apostolic  sections  can 
be  placed  within  the  Lucan  period,  this  argument 
loses  all  its  force.  The  conclusion  which  we  reach 
is  that  Paul  remained  a  prisoner  in  Rome  to  the 
end  of  his  life.  The  forces  arrayed  against  him 
were  too  strong.  His  appeal  did  not  succeed. 
He  was  condemned,  not  as  a  follower  of  Christ, 
but  as  "a  mover  of  sedition  among  all  the  Jews 
throughout  the  world."  Nevertheless  he  died  a 
martyr.  He  poured  out  his  blood  as  a  libation 
to  God.  In  life  he  was  the  greatest  of  all 
Christians ;  in  death  he  perfected  his  fellowship 
of  Christ's  sufferings. 


Col.  i.  I,  2. 
GREETING. 

1  Paul,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ  by  the  will  of  God,  and 

2  Timotheus  our  brother,  to  the  saints  and  faithful  brethren 
in  Christ  which  are  at  Colosse  :  Grace  be  unto  you,  and 
peace,  from  God  our  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  an  apostle.  Paul  asserts  his  apostleship  as 
a  ground  for  intervening  at  a  critical  moment 
in  the  affairs  of  the  church  of  Colosse.  Having 
seen  the  risen  Christy  and  received  his  commission 
immediately  from  Him^  he  knows  that  he  is  on  a 
par  with  the  original  apostles^  the  chosen  witnesses 
of  the  Resurrection  (see  1  Cor.  ix.  1).  He  is  an 
apostle  by  the  will  of  God.  This  is  the  secret 
at  once  of  his  profound  humility  and  his  masterful 
authority.  He  can  neither  boast  of  his  apostleship 
as  if  he  had  been  raised  by  merit  to  that  eminence, 
nor  be  slow  to  exercise  his  rights  as  if  he  doubted 
the  reality  of  his  call.  The  name  of  Timothy, 
so  closely  associated  with  that  of  Paul  in  two  of 
the  great  Missionary  Journeys, (would  be  well  known 
in  Asia  Minor,     Perhaps  he  acts  as  amanuensis. 

2.  to  the  saints.  In  the  N.T.  sense  of  the 
word,  a  sinner  becomes  a  sahit  at  the  very  moment 
of  his  conversion.  His  sainthood  is  determined  by 
his  relation  to  Christ  as  a  believer.  The  apostle 
would  have  repudiated  the  title  "Saint  Paul" 
with  a  sensitive  dread,  unless  he  had  been  assured 


Colossians  i.  3-8  33 

that  the  humblest  and  obscurest  believer  would 
share  the  appellation  with  him.  faithful 
brethren  is  another  designation  of  all  the 
followers  of  Christ.  "Faithful"  means  first  "full 
of  faith/'  and  then  "worthy  of  trust."  The  one 
meaning  naturally  runs  into  the  other ;  for  faith, 
in  the  Pauline  sense,  is  a  moral  energy  which 
necessarily  manifests  itself  in  loyal  and  loving 
conduct.  Faith  and  faithfulness  are  related  as 
root  and  fruit,  in  Christ  is  Paul's  monogram, 
expressing  his  abiding  sense  of  the  mystic,  vital 
union  of  believers  with  the  risen  Christ.  To 
understand  it  is  to  know  his  deepest  secret,  to  reach 
the  innermost  core  of  his  experimental  religion,  in 
Christ  .  .  .  at  Colosse.  Compare  John's  "  I  was 
in  the  isle  ...  in  the  Spirit."  The  Christian  has 
two  environments :  he  dwells  among  men,  and  he 
lives,  moves,  and  has  his  being  in  God.  Grace  .  .  . 
peace.  The  phrase  links  the  Western  to  the 
Eastern  salutation,  as  if  wedding  Hellenism  to 
Hebraism.  The  light-hearted  greetings  of  Jew 
and  Greek  simply  meant  "Be  happy"  and  "Be 
peaceful."  But  in  the  Christian  usage  the  words 
are  evangelically  enriched  and  deepened.  "  Grace  " 
is  the  free  and  loving  favour  of  God  in  its  saving 
power,  and  "peace"  the  repose  of  a  soul  which 
He  has  saved  from  sin  and  brought  into  harmony 
with  Himself. 

Col.  i.  3-8. 

THANKSGIVING  FOR  THE  FAITH  AND 
LOVE  OF  THE  COLOSSIANS. 

3  We  give  thanks  to  God  and  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 

4  Christ,  praying  always  for  you,   since  we  heard  of  your 
faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  of  the  love  which  ye  have  to  all 

3 


34  Westminster  New  Testament 

5  the  saints,  for  the  hope  which  is  laid  up  for  you  in  heaven, 
whereof  ye  heard  before  in  the  word  of  the  truth  of  the 

6  gospel ;  which  is  come  unto  you,  as  it  is  in  all  the  world  ; 
and  bringeth  forth  fruit,  as  it  doth  also  in  you,  since  the 
day  ye  heard  of  it,  and  knew  the  grace  of  God  in  truth  : 

7  as  ye  also   learned   of  Epaphras   our  dear  fellowservant, 

8  who  is  for  you  a  faithful  minister  of  Christ;  who  also 
declared  unto  us  your  love  in  the  Spirit. 

Paul  sounds  the  clear  note  of  praise.  It  is  ever 
his  way  to  appreciate  before  criticising.  There  is 
much  in  the  condition  of  the  Colossians  for  which 
he  must  heartily  thank  God — their  faith  and  love, 
both  strengthened  by  their  hope  of  the  speedy 
return  of  Christ ;  their  personal  acceptance  of  the 
world-wide  gospel ;  their  regard  for  the  evangelist 
— Paul's  delegate — who  has  been  labouring  among 
them  for  years^  and  who  has  now  come  to  Rome 
with  a  tale  full  of  gratitude  for  their  kindness. 

3.  praying  always.  The  breath  of  prayer 
blows  through  all  the  letters  of  Paul^  especially  of 
prayer  for  others.  Intercession  is  really  a  great 
part  of  his  apostolic  life,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
secrets  of  his  evangelical  power.  "In  every 
letter  prayer  stamps  its  solemn  grandeur  upon 
the  page.  If  we  except  the  Book  of  Psalms, 
which  is  expressly  the  universal  liturgy  of  the 
Bible,  nothing  like  it  is  observed  in  any  other 
writer  of  holy  scripture  "  (Pope). 

4,  5.  faith  .  .  .  love  .  .  .  hope.  In  l  Cor. 
xiii.  the  three  Christian  graces  are  placed  side  by 
side  for  comparison.  Here  they  are  not  only 
brought  together  but  interlaced,  and  their  union 
is  strength.  Faith  worketh  by  love,  and  both 
faith  and  love  are  fortified  by  the  hope  which  is 
laid   up   in    the    heavens — the    hope    of  Christ's 


Colossians  i.  3-8  35 

speedy  return  in  power  and  glory.  "Paul  does 
not  express  the  idea  that  the  Christian  is  moved 
by  the  selfish  hope  of  reward,  but  that  the  vision 
of  the  final  issue  is  needed  to  keep  Christian  faith 
and  love  untroubled  amid  the  confusions  of  the 
present "  (Von  Soden). 

6.  you  ...  all  the  world.  The  gospel  which 
Epaphras  has  preached  is  not  provincial  but  cosmo- 
politan. The  false  teachers  have  brought  into  the 
Colossian  Church  ideas  which  are  for  the  moment 
making  a  mighty  stir.  "  They  think  the  babble  of 
their  bourg  the  murmur  of  the  world."  But  their 
loud  talk  is  purely  parochial,  while  the  truth  is 
catholic.  The  gospel  is  "  in  all  the  world,  bearing 
fruit  and  increasing."  To  the  limitations  of  a  philo- 
sophical school  Paul  opposes  the  universalism  of 
Christianity  and  the  universality  of  its  blessings. 
He  uses  for  the  first  time  the  argument  which  was 
urged  with  such  effect  in  after  ages,  and  com- 
pressed into  the  famous  words,  "  Quod  semper,  quod 
uhique,  quod  ah  omnibm."  Paul  feels,  like  Wesley, 
that  his  parish  is  the  world.  He  gives  utterance  to 
the  amazing  self-consciousness  of  the  early  Church, 
which  at  a  time  when  it  numbered  but  a  mere 
handful  of  members  was  already  calmly  reckoning 
on  the  conquest  of  mankind.  Christ  for  the  world, 
and  the  world  for  Christ !  the  grace  of  God. 
Paul  throws  his  shield  over  Epaphras,  and  eulogises 
his  work,  because  he  knows  him  to  be  an  enthu- 
siastic preacher  of  grace.  "The  true  gospel  as 
taught  by  Epaphras  was  an  offer  of  free  grace  ;  the 
false  gospel  was  a  code  of  rigorous  prohibitions,  a 
system  of  human  devising  "  (Lightfoot). 

7.  faithful  minister    ...   on    our  behalf. 
This  is  the  true  reading  (R.V.).     Epaphras,  himself 


36  Westminster  New  Testament 

a  Colossian  (iv.  12),  was  probably  one  of  Paul's 
converts  and  disciples  in  the  great  Ephesian 
mission.  He  was  then  commissioned  to  go  to  the 
Lycus  valley  as  Paul's  delegate,  or  vice-evangelist. 
The  three  communities  which  he  founded  were 
thus  in  a  sense  Paul's  own  churches.  Hence  we 
understand  the  apostle's  eagerness  to  tell  the 
Colossians  how  he  loved  and  trusted  his  fellow- 
Servant  as  Christ's  faithful  minister. 

8.  your  love.  This  may  mean  either  their  love 
of  Epaphras  or  their  love  of  one  another,  love 
in  the  Spirit  is  love  inspired  and  sustained  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Higher  than  all  natural,  intellectual, 
social  affinities,  this  is  the  purest,  strongest,  most 
enduring  friendship. 

Col.  i.  9-14. 

PRAYER  FOR  THEIR  GROWTH  IN 
SPIRITUAL  KNOWLEDGE. 

9  For  this  cause  we  also,  since  the  day  we  heard  it,  do  not 
cease  to  pray  for  you,  and  to  desire  that  ye  might  be  filled 
with  the  knowledge  of  his  will  in  all  wisdom  and  spiritual 

10  understanding  ;  that   ye   might  walk   worthy   of  the  Lord 
unto  all  pleasing,  being  fruitful  in  every  good  work,  and 

1 1  increasing  in  the  knowledge   of  God  ;  strengthened  with 
all  might,  according  to  his  glorious  power,  unto  all  patience 

12  and    longsuffering   with   joyfulness ;    giving   thanks    unto 
the  Father,  which  hath  made  us  meet  to  be  partakers  of 

13  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light :  who  hath  delivered 
us  from  the  power  of  darkness,  and  hath  translated  us  into 

14  the  kingdom  of  his  dear  Son  :  in  whom  we  have  redemption 
through  his  blood,  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins  : 

Just  because  the  Colossians  are  already  true 
Christians,  Paul  prays  that  they  may  receive  the  full 


Colossians  i.  9-14  37 

knowledge  of  God's  will,  a  knowledge  which  shall 
manifest  itself  in  a  life  pleasing  to  Christ,  fruitful 
in  service,  and  tending  to  a  still  further  increase 
in  knowledge  ;  a  life  of  Divine  power  sustaining  a 
spirit  of  joyful  endurance  ;  a  life  of  abiding  thank- 
fulness to  the  Father  for  the  miracle  of  salvation. 

9.  For  this  cause.  Because  the  Colossians 
have  already  so  much  faith,  love,  and  hope,  there- 
fore the  apostle  wants  them  to  reach  forth  to 
perfect  knowledge  and  goodness.  He  does  not 
allow  them  to  rest  satisfied.  He  stirs  in  them  a 
divine  discontent  with  their  attainments,  a  coveting 
of  the  best  gifts,  a  holy  aspiration  after  an  ever 
higher,  and  finally  the  highest,  life,  we  means 
Paul  and  Timothy.  Eager  themselves  for  the 
prayers  of  others  (iv.  3),  they  ungi-udgingly  give 
their   time    and    strength    to    this    mighty    work 

of  intercession,  knowledge  .  .  .  spiritual 
wisdom  and  understanding.  The  word  trans- 
lated "knowledge"  is  a  favourite  one  in  the 
Roman  epistles,  meaning  advanced,  mature,  full 
knowledge.  There  is  an  earthly  knowledge  which 
puffs  up,  a  wisdom  which  God  makes  foolish 
(1  Cor.  viii.  1,  i.  20) ;  but  there  is  a  heavenly 
knowledge,  a  spiritual  wisdom — communicated 
by  the  Holy  Spirit — which  is  the  very  torch  of 
truth,  lighting  up  the  whole  path  of  life.  The  best 
corrective  of  "  knowledge  (gnosis)  falsely  so  called  " 
(1  Tim.  vi.  20)  is  the  full-knowledge  (epignosis) 
of  Christ,  in  whom  are  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom 
and  knowledge  hidden  (Col.  ii.  3).  This  knowledge 
is  never  theoretical,  always  practical ;  it  is  the  know- 
ledge of  God's  will,  given  to  men  not  to  gratify  their 
intellectual  curiosity,  but  to  change  their  lives, 
control  their  actions,  shape  their  eternal  destinies. 


38    Westminster  New  Testament 

10.  to  walk  worthily.  This  the  Colossians 
will  do  if  they  give  the  Lord — which  in  the 
Pauline  epistles  always  means  Christ — His  rightful 
place^  the  highest  place,  in  their  affections  (cf. 
Matt.  X.  37).  unto  all  pleasing  means  ^^so  as 
to  please  Him  in  all  things/'  and  that  not  only  as  a 
servant  satisfies  his  master,  but  as  a  son  pleases  his 
father  or  a  lover  delights  his  bride,  bearing  fruit. 
Cf.  John  xii.  24,  xv.  2,  5,  8,  i6.  every  good 
work,  bringing  tangible  and  substantial  benefits 
to  somebody,  is  fruit,  while  devout  sentiments, 
which  end  in  themselves,  are  leaves  without  fruit. 
How  impressive  is  the  repetition  of  all  .  .  .  all 
.  .  .  every  ...  all  ...  all  (vers.  9-ll)!  How 
characteristic  of  Paul,  who  could  never  be  content, 
and  never  wished  any  believer  to  be  content,  with 
anything  less  than  the  utmost  and  the  best  of 
everything  in  the  kingdom  of  grace  ! 

11.  strengthened  .  .  .  power  .  .  .  might  of 
his  glory.  This  is  the  measure  of  the  Christian's 
resources.  Personally  impotent,  he  has  all  the 
might  of  God's  gloiy — His  revealed  presence — to 
aid  him,  and  cannot  fail.  The  energy  of  God, 
appropriated  by  faith,  nerves  him  to  endure  not 
only  without  murmuring,  but  with  positive  joy. 
The  Stoic,  brave  in  the  strength  of  self-reliance, 
suffers  with  a  patience  which  is  far  removed  from 
joy.  He  can  only  claim  that  "in  the  fell  grasp 
of  circumstance  he  has  not  winced  or  cried  aloud." 
But  the  Christian,  upheld  by  a  strength  much  greater 
than  his  own,  goes  through  the  same  experience 
rejoicing.  Arnold  cannot  rise  higher  than  '^^sad 
patience,  too  near  neighbour  to  despair";  Paul 
knows  the  secret  of  patience  with  joy. 

12.  13.  made  us   meet   to  be   partakers. 


Colossians  i.  9-14  39 

Or,  "qualified  us/'  enabled  us  to  fulfil  all  the  con- 
ditions, gave  us  a  clear  title,  the  inheritance 
.  .  .  in  light.  Salvation  is  not  obtained  by 
purchase  or  conquest,  but  is  a  gift,  a  heritage ; 
we  are  heirs  of  God  and  joint-heirs  with  Christ. 
The  inheritance  is  ours  not  merely  because  it  is 
held  in  reserve  for  us  in  the  light  of  eternal 
glory,  but  because  we  "possess  our  possessions," 
partially  at   least,  as    soon    as  we   are   delivered 

out  of  the  power  of  darkness.    The  Christian 

life  begins  with  an  act  of  supernatural  power, 
parallel  to  the  deliverance  of  Israel  from  the 
bondage  of  Egypt.  The  Father  intervenes  to 
rescue  His  children,  by  nature  miserably  enslaved 
under  a  tyrannous  evil  power,  here  almost  personified 
as  the  power  of  Darkness.  At  the  same  time  we 
are  translated  so  as  to  become  colonists  and 
citizens  of  a  new  kingdom.  Paul  usually  con- 
ceives the  kingdom  of  God  as  eschatological,  but 
not  here.  As  he  makes  the  deliverance  and  the 
translation  synchronise,  he  is  evidently  thinking  of 
Christ's  kingdom  on  earth.     He  describes  it  as  the 

kingdom  of  the  Son  of  God's  love,  a  phrase 
which  beautifully  suggests  the  excellence  of 
Christ's  loving  dominion  over  men.  His  reign  of 
grace. 

14.  redemption  .  .  .  forgiveness.  Redemp- 
tion is,  in  the  stricter  sense,  rescue  by  ransom ; 
in  the  wider  sense,  deliverance  of  any  kind.  It 
is  here  synonymous  with  the  forgiveness  of  OUr 
sins.  Many  immense  benefits  come  to  us  in  the 
wake  of  forgiveness,  but  the  initial  experience  of 
pardon  is  so  transcendently  wonderful  that  the  part 
may  well  be  put  for  the  whole.  Omit  "through 
His  blood,"  taken  over  from  Eph.  i.  7. 


40    Westminster  New  Testament 

Col.  i.  15-23. 
THE  UNIQUENESS  OF  CHRIST. 

15  who  ivS  the  image  of  the   invisible  God,  the   firstborn  of 

16  every  creature  :  for  by  him  were  all  things  created,  that 
are  in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible, 
whether  they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principalities, 
or  powers  :  all  things  were  created  by  him,  and  for  him  : 

1 7  and  he  is  before  all  things,  and  by  him  all  things  consist. 

18  And  he  is  the  head  of  the  body,  the  church  :  who  is  the 
beginning,  the  firstborn  from  the  dead  ;  that  in  all  things 

19  he  might  have  the  preeminence.     For  it  pleased  the  Father 

20  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell ;  and,  having  made 
peace  through  the  blood  of  his  cross,  by  him  to  reconcile 
all  things  unto  himself;  by  him,  I  say,  whether  they  be 

21  things  in  earth,  or  things  in  heaven.  And  you,  that  were 
sometime  alienated  and  enemies  in  your  mind  by  wicked 

22  works,  yet  now  hath  he  reconciled  in  the  body  of  his 
flesh  through  death,  to  present  you  holy  and  unblameable 

23  and  unreproveable  in  his  sight :  if  ye  continue  in  the  faith 
grounded  and  settled,  and  be  not  moved  away  from  the 
hope  of  the  gospel,  which  ye  have  heard,  and  which  was 
preached  to  every  creature  which  is  under  heaven  ;  whereof 
I  Paul  am  made  a  minister  ; 

With  profound  reverence  Paul  now  approaches 
the  central  theme  of  the  epistle^  the  Person  of 
Christj  God's  Image,  born  before  all  creation ; 
through  whom  and  for  whom  all  things  were 
created ;  in  whom  the  universe  holds  together ; 
who  is  also  the  Head  of  the  Church  ;  in  whom 
the  Divine  fulness  dwells ;  and  through  whom 
God  is  reconciling  all  things  to  Himself.  This  is 
the  supreme  Christological  passage  in  the  apostle's 
writings.     It  represents  Christ  as  the  pre-mundane. 


Colossians  i.  15-23  41 

pre-existent  Son  of  God,  the  First  of  all  spiritual 
beings.  It  brings  all  heaven  and  earth  to  His 
feetj  it  humbles  the  highest  angels  before  His 
face,  it  makes  Him  the  Original  and  the  Ideal  of 
all  existence,  it  presents  Him  as  the  Head  of  the 
new  spiritual  creation,  it  gives  Him  the  pre- 
eminence in  all  things.  But  the  point  of  most 
urgent  practical  importance  is  that  in  a  sinful 
world  He  is  the  Reconciler  of  all  things  to  God. 
Why  should  the  Colossians,  who  have  had  thrilling 
experiences  of  His  reconciling  power,  turn  away 
to  other,  lower,  angelic  mediators  ?  The  sunshine 
of  Christianity  is  better  than  the  cold  moonlight 
of  Judaism  and  the  flickering  rushlights  of  theo- 
sophy. 

15.  the  image.  Christ  both  represents  and 
manifests  God,  who  is  Himself  hidden.  Ethically 
and  essentially  He  is  at  once  the  Revealer  and 
the  Revelation  of  the  Eternal  Spirit.  The  idea  is 
that  He  is  not  merely  like  God — quite  another 
word  being  used  to  express  likeness — but  that  He 
is  God  manifest.  Not  only  on  earth  in  the  days  of 
His  flesh,  but  in  His  timeless  heavenly  life  was 
He,  and  is  He,  the  Image  of  God — God's  Repre- 
sentative acting  in  the  sphere  of  things  visible 
(cf  John  i.  18;  Heb.  i.  3).  the  firstborn. 
Among  the  Jews  the  word  was  one  of  the  titles 
of  the  Messiah.  The  Rabbis  interpreted  '^^first- 
born "  in  Ps.  Ixxxix.  27  as  Messianic.  In  common 
speech  the  word  signified,  first,  temporal  priority, 
and  then,  in  virtue  of  the  rights  of  primogeniture, 
lordship.  Both  ideas  are  included  when  Christ  is 
called  the  Firstborn.  He  is  before,  and  He  is  Lord 
over,  all  creation.  All  that  the  wise  thinkers  of 
Israel,  all  that  the  mystic  dreamers  of  Alexandria, 


42   Westminster  New  Testament 

said  of  the  "Wisdom"  and  the  "Word"  of  God 
is  realised  in  Christ  (see  Prov.  viii.  22  ;  Wisd.  vii. 
21,  26,  viii.  1  ;  and  Philo  passhn).  "  Paul  heaps  the 
highest  titles  upon  his  Christ,  because  he  is  certain 
that  he  has  in  Him  the  final  Revelation  and  the 
perfect  Salvation  "  (Lueken).  The  central  ideas  of 
Colossians  are  overwhelmingly  grand.  "The  in- 
tellectual daring  of  them  is  almost  inconceivable  ; 
imagination  fails  to  realise  the  pressure  under  which 
the  mind  must  have  been  working  when  it  rose  to 
the  height  of  such  assertions  "  (Denney). 

i6.  by  him  created  .  .  .  created  by  him. 
Read  "  in  Him  .  .  .  through  Him."  Christ  was 
the  conditioning  Cause  and  the  mediating  Agent 
of  God's  work.  On  all  that  ^\Q  see  around  us — 
Nature  and  humanity  alike — we  may  write  "  made 
through  Christ."  The  Colossian  Gnostics  looked 
on  the  visible  world  as  the  device  of  some  demiurge, 
and  despised  it ;  Paul  knew  its  real  Author,  and 
reverenced  His  work.  It  awes  him  to  think  of 
Christ's  cosmic  significance.  Christ  is  the  Artist 
of  Nature.  He  made  the  lilies  which  He  loved. 
"  Something  lives  in  every  hue  Christless  eyes  have 
never  seen."  thrones  .  .  .  powers.  Gnostic 
names  for  aeons  or  angels — supernatural  beings 
who  have  emanated  from  the  Godhead.  From  this 
verse  Milton  got  his  grandiose  line,  "Thrones, 
dominations,  princedoms,  virtues,  powers."  The 
Colossians  were  giving  themselves  up  to  the  study 
and  worship  of  these  dread  beings.  Paul  seems  to  be 
impatient  of  the  whole  hierarchy.  It  matters  little 
to  him  whether  they  are  creatures  of  fact  or  of 
fancy.  He  puts  down  the  mighty  from  their  seats. 
Angels  must  not  usurp  the  authority  or  dim  the 
glory  of  their  Lord.     He  must  not  be  lost  sight 


Colossians  i.  15-23 


43 


of  in  the  crowd  of  His  creatures.  He  alone 
shall  reign  in  human  hearts.  through  him 
and  unto  him.  Inserting  also  in  him,  from 
the  first  part  of  the  verse^  we  learn  that  He 
is  Centre  and  Lord  of  all  things,  past,  present, 
and  future. 

"Christ  is  the  end,  for  Christ  was  the  beginning; 
Christ  the  beginning,  for  the  end  is  Christ." 

17.  he    is    before   all    things.      "He"    is 

emphatic,  and  the  verb  is  a  timeless  present. 
With  this  ^^HE  IS,"  compare  Christ's  own  "I 
AM"  in  John  viii.  58.  in  him  all  things 
consist.  Christ  is  the  Centre  of  unity,  the 
Principle  of  cohesion,  in  the  universe.  He  makes 
it  a  cosmos,  an  ordered  whole,  and  apart  from  Him 
it  would  fall  back  into  chaos.  But  for  Him  the  dread 
prayer  would  be  answered,  "  Let  Nature's  germens 
tumble  all  to  ruin,  even  till  destruction  sicken." 

18.  the  head  of  the  body,  the  church. 
From  the  thought  of  Christ's  dominion  in  the 
natural  world  Paul  passes  to  that  of  His  lordship 
in  the  spiritual  realm.  The  Church  is  here  the 
Church  universal — the  whole  company  of  believers 
throughout  the  world.  Christ  is  to  them  what  the 
head  is  to  the  body,  the  principle  of  life,  energy, 
and  authority.  He  vitalises,  inspires,  governs 
them.  He  organises  them  in  mystic  union  with 
Himself.  He  is  the  beginning,  the  original 
Source  of  all  life  and  power ;  and  He  is  the  first- 
born from  the  dead,  the  first  of  many  brethren 
who  are  liberated  from  the  cold  dominion  of  death. 
As  He  was  the  Firstborn  of  all  aminated  (ver.  15), 
so  He  is  of  all  re-animated,  beings.  "Jesus  and 
the   Resurrection"  formed    the   essential  message 


44   Westminster  New  Testament 

of  the  early  Church,  in  all  things  .  .  .  the 
preeminence.  Summmg  up,  the  writer  hails 
Christ  as  supreme  in  every  realm.  It  is  evident 
that  nothing  less  than  Godhead  is  ascribed  to  One 
who  thus  fills  and  rules  all  things. 

19.  all  fulness.  Better,  '^all  the  fulness" 
(R.V.).  This  is  one  of  the  grandest  words  in  the 
N.T.  It  occurs  again  in  ii.  9j  and  several  times 
in  Ephesians.  It  has  here  a  definite  theological 
meaning.  It  is  the  totality  of  Divine  powers  and 
attributes.  Paul  uses  it  as  a  Avord  familiar  to  the 
Colossian  Gnostics.  They  regarded  the  aeons  (or 
angels)  who  emanated  from  God  as  His  Pleroma. 
Paul  asserts,  on  the  contrary,  that  the  Fulness — 
the  whole  nature  of  God,  with  its  wealth  of  wisdom, 
power,  and  love — has  taken  up  its  permanent  abode 
in  Christ. 

20.  having  made  peace  through  the  blood 

of  his  cross.  The  new  Colossian  teachers  offered 
peace  through  angelic  mediators.  Paul  repudiates 
the  offer,  and  boldly  maintains  that  these  very 
mediators,  if  they  have  any  objective  reality, 
need  themselves  to  be  reconciled,  and  that  for 
them  as  for  man  the  one  element  of  atonement  is 
the  blood  which  Christ  shed  on  His  cross.  tO 
reconcile  all  things  to  himself.  This  is  Paul's 

larger  hope.  Grammatically  the  words  are  simple, 
theologically  they  are  difficult.  They  imply  that 
Reconciliation  in  Christ  is  not  limited  to  the  Church, 
nor  to  humanity,  nor  yet  to  intelligent  beings.  It 
extends  to  all  things,  whether  on  earth  or  in 
the  heavens.  This  is  part  of  the  Father's  good 
pleasure.  It  is  a  glorious  hope  which  impinges 
on  the  doctrines  of  human  freedom  and  Divine 
judgment,  but  must  not  be  allowed  to  emasculate 


Colossians  i.  15-23  45 

them.  Paul  leaves  the  apparent  antinomy  un- 
resolved. ^^The  heart  has  its  reasons,  which  reason 
does  not  know  "  (Pascal). 

21.  alienated  and  enemies.  Instead  of  being 

dear  friends  and  loving  children.  Sin  is  more  than 
ignorance  and  imperfection.  In  the  last  analysis 
it  is  conscious  hostility  to  the  will  and  character 
of  God. 

22.  the  body  of  his  flesh.  "Body"  is  here 
Christ's  natural  body,  as  distinguished  from  His 
spiritual  body,  the  Church  (ver.  18).  tO  present 
you  holy.  God  is  ethically  perfect,  and  gives 
Himself  to  the  task  of  making  His  children  perfect, 
that  He  may  have  their  fellowship  for  ever.  He 
is  not  the  good-natured,  easy-going  God — the  hon 
Dieu  of  the  Frenchman — who  cares  only  to  see 
His  children  happy.  He  will  have  them  without 
blemish  before  Him. 

23.  if  ye  continue.  It  is  not  enough  to  begin 
well.  Every  step  forward  requires  a  fresh  volition. 
There  is  perpetual  danger  of  going  back.  The 
perseverance  of  the  saints  is  an  endless  succession 
of  new  beginnings,    grounded  and   stedfast. 

The  one  word  means  that  the  Christian  is  built  on 
a  firm  foundation,  and  the  other  that  he  is  therefore 

immovable,  the  gospel  .  .  .  was  preached 
in  all  creation  under   heaven.    This   is  the 

language  of  glowing  enthusiasm.  The  hyperbole 
startles  the  mind  into  the  recognition  of  an  astonish- 
ing fact — that  Christianity  is  swiftly  making  way 
everywhere,  whereof  I  ...  a  minister.  Paul 
again  endorses  the  evangel  preached  by  Epaphras. 
He  sets  his  seal  to  it  as  God's  message  to  all  the 
world,  whose  catholicity  is  the  guarantee  of  its 
truth. 


46  Westminster  New  Testament 

Col.  i.  24-29. 
JOY  AND  LABOUR  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

24  who  now  rejoice  in  my  sufferings  for  you,  and  fill  up  that 
which  is  behind  of  the  afflictions  of  Christ  in  my  flesh  for 

25  his  body's  sake,  which  is  the  church :  whereof  I  am 
made  a  minister,  according  to  the  dispensation  of  God 
which  is  given  to  me  for  you,  to  fulfil  the  word  of  God  ; 

26  even  the  mystery  which  hath  been  hid  from  ages  and 
from  generations,  but  now  is  made  manifest  to  his  saints  : 

27  to  whom  God  would  make  known  what  is  the  riches  of 
the  glory  of  this  mystery  among  the  Gentiles  ;   which   is 

28  Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of  glory :  whom  we  preach, 
warning  every  man,  and  teaching  every  man  in  all  wisdom  ; 
that  we  may  present  every  man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus  : 

29  whereunto  I  also  labour,  striving  according  to  his  working, 
which  worketh  in  me  mightily. 

The  keynote  of  this  paragraph  is  the  reiterated 
phrase^  ''  every  man."  Paul  rejoices  to  suffer  like 
Christ  for  the  Church's  sake,  as  a  minister  appointed 
to  preach  God's  Mystery  to  every  man,  to  warn 
every  man,  that  he  may  present  every  man  perfect. 
For  this  glorious  end  he  labours  and  strives,  vs^ith 
an  energy  imparted  to  him  by  the  almighty  Worker. 

24.  I  rejoice  in  my  sufferings.  This  is  a 
feeling  to  which  Paul  gives  frequent  utterance. 
In  his  life  of  freedom  he  was  "  sorrowful  yet  always 
rejoicing  "  (2  Cor.  vi.  10)  ;  and  now,  as  a  captive,  he 
rejoices  not  only  in  the  midst  of  his  sufferings  but 
because  of  them,  as  he  recognises  that  they  are  the 
means  of  spiritual  blessing  to  others  wiiom  he  loves. 
I  fill  up  that  which  is  lacking  of  the 
afflictions  of  Christ.  Nothing  could  be  added 
to  the  atoning  sacrifice  which  Christ  offered  once 


Colossians  i.  24-29  47 

for  all.  It  was  finished.  But  "the  sufferings  of 
the  disciple  are  almost  as  necessary  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  Church  as  those  of  the  Saviour  for  its 
redemption"  (Monod).  Perhaps  they  are  called 
the  afflictions  of  Christ  because  the  sufferings  of 
the  members  of  His  mystical  body  are  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  Head  (cf.  Isa.  Ixiii.  9).  "  What  do 
you  see  now  ?  "  Margaret  Wilson  was  mockingly 
asked  when  her  companion  was  drowning  before 
her  eyes  in  the  pitiless  Solway.  "What  do  I 
see/'  she  answered^  "but  Christ  wrestling  there. 
Think  ye  that  we  are  the  sufferers  ?  No,  it  is  Christ 
in  us." 

25.  the    dispensation    of  God.    Or,    "the 

stewardship."  Paul  feels  that  he  is  entrusted 
with  the  Divine  Householder's  goods,  the  riches 
of  His  grace,  for  distribution  among  His  family. 
Every  truth,  every  blessing,  which  he  receives  in- 
volves the  duty  of  imparting  it  to  the  needy.  To 
hoard  the  Divine  bounty,  not  to  give  it  out  with 
a  lavish  hand,  is  to  defraud  both  God  and  man. 
to  fulfil  the  word  of  God  means  "fully  to 
preach "  it,  as  the  verb  is  translated  in  Rom. 
XV.  19 ;  to  do  justice  to  the  message  by  telling  it 
abroad  in  the  fulness  of  its  truth  and  grace  ;  to 
publish  it  all  eveiywhere. 

26.  even  the  mystery.  This  word  occurs  ten 
times  in  Colossians  and  Ephesians.  In  the  common 
(demotic)  speech  of  the  time  mystery  meant  any 
secret.  But  Paul  seems  to  have  borrowed  it  rather 
from  the  famous  Greek  mysteries,  the  doctrines  and 
practices  of  which  were  only  divulged  to  the 
initiated.  In  N.T.  theology  the  word  means  a 
purpose  of  God,  long  hidden  but  in  the  fulness  of 
the  times  revealed.     Here  it  signifies  His  eternal 


48   Westminster  New  Testament 

design  to  offer  redemption  to  Jew  and  Gentile 
alike  in  Jesus  Christ.  The  thought  of  being 
chosen  to  divulge  this  Divine  secret  to  all  the 
world  makes  Paul's  heart  glow.  In  describing  it 
he  uses  some  of  the  warmest  words  in  his  vocabu- 
lary— "  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  this  mystery." 
manifested     to     his     saints.      The     Greek 

mysteries  were  jealously  guarded  from  the  vulgar 
crowd,  and  whispered  only  in  the  ears  of  the  chosen 
few.  The  Christian  mystery  is  proclaimed  to  all, 
but,  since  spiritual  things  are  spiritually  dis- 
cerned, it  remains  a  mystery  still  to  all  who  have 
not  been  divinely  illuminated. 

27.  this  mystery  .  .  .  Christ  in  you.  In  the 
former  verse  the  Mystery  was  a  purpose,  in  this 
it  is  a  Person.  All  God's  gracious  designs  centre 
in  Christ,  and  the  risen  Christ  is  immanent  in  every 
believer  as  his  life-power.  Luther  used  to  say, 
"  If  any  one  were  to  knock  at  my  breast,  and  ask. 
Who  lives  here?  I  should  answer.  Not  Martin 
Luther,  but  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  (Cf  Gal. 
ii.  20  and  Eph.  iii.  17.)  the  hope  of  glory. 
To  be  in  mystical  union  with  Christ,  proving  the 
meaning  of  His  own  words,  "  Abide  in  Me,  and  I 
in  you,"  is  to  have  the  calm  assurance  of  ere  long 
being  for  ever  with  Him  and  beholding  His  glory. 
The  very  sweetness  of  this  relation  is  the  proof 
that  it  is  meant  for  immortality.  "Glory"  is  here 
(as  so  often  in  John's  writings)  another  name  for 
heavenly  blessedness. 

28.  every  man  .  .  .  every  man  .  .  .  every 
man.  All  the  benefits  of  the  gospel  are  intended 
for  all  men.  This  is  Paul's  reply  to  the  Colossian 
superman.  Christianity  makes  no  superior  persons. 
It  has  no  esoteric  doctrines,  no  occult  mysteries  to 


Colossians  ii.  i-y  49 

add  to  its  plain  and  public  utterances.  Its  temple 
has  no  outer  and  inner  courts ;  its  veil  of  secrecy 
is  rent  in  twain^  and  every  man  without  exception 
may  enter  the  Holy  of  Holies.  The  Reign  of 
Christ  creates  among  men  not  an  intellectual 
oligarchy  but  a  spiritual  republic. 

29.  I  labour,  striving.  Both  words  were  used 
by  Jesus — "  all  ye  that  labour/'  "  strive  to  enter 
in."  Labour  is  toil  inducing  weariness,  and  striving 
(literally,  agonising)  is  a  metaphor  of  the  arena, 
where  gladiators  wrestled  for  their  lives.  So  the 
minister  of  Christ  toils  and  WTestles  for  the  lives 
of  others.  Cura  curarum,  cura  animarum.  "  Some- 
times I  grow  weary  in  it,  but  never  of  it,"  said 
Whitefield.  What  keeps  the  energies  of  such  men 
from  flagging  ?  Some  power  which  worketh  in 
them  mightily. 

"  '  111  and  o'erworked,  how  fare  you  in  this  scene?' 
*  Bravely,  .  .  .  for  I  have  lately  been 
Much  cheered  by  thoughts  of  Christ,  the  living  Bread.'  " 


Col.  ii.  1-7. 

CONFLICT  FOR  CHURCHES  UNVISITED. 

For  I  would  that  ye  knew  what  great  conflict  I  have  for 
you,  and  for  them  at  Laodicea,  and  for  as  many  as  have 

2  not  seen  my  face  in  the  flesh  ;  that  their  hearts  might  be 
comforted,  being  knit  together  in  love,  and  unto  all  riches 
of  the  full  assurance  of  understanding,  to  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  mystery  of  God,  and  of  the  Father,  and  of 

3  Christ ;  in  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and 

4  knowledge.     And  this  I  say,  lest  any  man  should  beguile 

5  you  with  enticing  words.  For  though  I  be  absent  in  the 
flesh,  yet  am  I  with  you  in  the  spirit,  joying  and  beholding 

4 


50   Westminster  New  Testament 

your  order,  and  the  stedfastness  of  your  faith  in  Christ. 

6  As  ye  have  therefore  received  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  so 

7  walk  ye  in  him  :  rooted  and  built  up  in  him,  and  stablished 
in  the  faith,  as  ye  have  been  taught,  abounding  therein 
with  thanksgiving. 

The  apostle's  care  is  not  limited  to  those  com- 
munities the  seeds  of  which  he  has  himself  planted 
and  watered,  but  extends  to  others — such  as  those 
of  Colossae  and  Laodicea — which  he  has  never 
seen.  He  earnestly  desires  that  they  may  be 
confirmed  in  their  faith,  welded  together  in  love, 
and  advanced  to  the  full  knowledge  of  the  Mystery 
of  God — Christ.  As  all  wisdom  and  knowledge 
are  hidden  in  Him,  the  churches  need  only  to  be 
rooted  and  grounded  in  their  faith,  enjoying  its 
blessings  to  the  full  with  thankful  hearts. 

1.  what  a  great  conflict  I  have  for  you. 

Paul  is  in  his  Roman  prison,  those  to  whom  he 
writes  are  in  their  far-off  Phrygian  valley.  But  dis- 
tance does  not  prevent  him  from  making  their 
cause  his  own.  With  profound  sympathy,  pain- 
ful anxiety,  fervent  intercession,  and  earnest 
brain-work,  he  contends  on  their  behalf.  Like  a 
strong  protagonist  he  throws  himself  between  them 
and  their  spiritual  foes,  in  a  battle  which  is  not 
so  much  his  as  the  Lord's,  them  at  Laodicea. 
Ten  miles  down  the  Lycus  valley  from  Colossae. 
The  Laodicean  converts  are  exposed  to  the  same 
dangers  as  their  neighbours.  Hierapolis,  the  last 
of  the  famous  triad,  is  named  later,  and  no  doubt 
had  similar  perils  (iv.  13). 

2.  that  their  hearts  may  be  comforted. 
"  Comforted  "  (^fortis,  strong)  must  here  be  under- 
stood in  its  orginal  sense — strengthened,  encouraged, 
fortified.    What  the  Colossians  needed  was  not  con- 


Colossians  ii.  1-7  51 

solation  in  sorrow,  but  confirmation  in  their 
Christian  faith.  They  were  not  suffering  for 
Christ's  sake  ;  the  letter  to  them  says  not  a  word 
about  persecution ;  but  they  were  in  spiritual 
danger,  and  the  cause  lay  partly  in  their  own  weak 
hearts.  Therefore,  instead  of  being  lulled  to  rest 
with  gentle  words,  they  needed  to  be  aroused  to 
fight  a  brave  battle  for  the  truth.  This  letter  is 
not  the  soothing  strain  of  a  peace-pipe,  but  the 
stirring  blast  of  a  trumpet,  they  being  knit 
together  in  love.  Not  wasting  their  energy  in 
mutual  jealousy  and  strife,  but  presenting  a  solid 
front  to  the  foe.  Divided  they  will  fall,  united 
they  stand.  Their  tie  of  fellowship  is  not  self- 
interest  but  holy  love — the  same  golden  chain  that 
binds  them  to  Christ.  Such  love — both  His  and 
theirs — is  the  bond  of  perfectness  (iii.  14).  unto 
.  .  .  the  full  assurance  of  understanding. 
Paul  does  not  fear  the  completest  enlightenment ; 
rather  he  covets  it.  "Let  knowledge  grow  from 
more  to  more."  But  not  the  dry  light  of  reason. 
The  heart  makes  the  theologian.  The  deep  and 
strong  emotion  of  Christian  love  is  a  splendid 
teacher,  guiding  us  unto  a  sure  and  conscious 
insight  into  the  things  of  God.  Love  purifies  the 
affections,  and  "only  as  the  heart  is  clean  may 
larger  vision  yet  be  mine."  that  they  may  know 
the  mystery  of  God,  even  Christ.  Of  the  many 
possible  renderings  of  this  difficult  passage,  the  R.V. 
has  the  best.  Christ  Himself  is  the  Mystery  of  God, 
the  Father's  Secret,  now  divulged  to  all  the  world 
(cf.  1  Tim.  iii.  l6).  God  did  not  wish  to  remain 
for  ever  unknown  and  unknowable.  He  whispers 
the  Secret  of  being ;  it  is  Christ.  The  Christian 
is  no  agnostic  facing  an  inscrutable  mystery,  vainly 


52   Westminster  New  Testament 

trying  to  answer  the  riddle  of  the  sphinx.     He  is 
the  true  Gnostic — he  knows. 

3.  treasures  .  .  .  wisdom  .  .  .  knowledge 
hidden.  These  were  the  familiar  catchwords  of  the 
philosophical  Christians  of  Asia.  Ordinary  Christi- 
anity might  do  well  enough  for  good,  simple  people, 
but  for  enlightened  minds  there  was  a  profounder 
knowledge,  a  riper  wisdoin,  whose  treasures  were 
hidden  from  common  eyes.  Paul's  reply,  couched  in 
the  language  of  his  opponents,  is  that  in  Christ  alone 
are  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge 
hidden.  Here  the  words  have  a  Hellenic  colour ; 
one  might  almost  render  them  ^'^  philosophy  and 
science."  Paul  regards  Christianity  as  the  queen 
of  the  sciences,  imparting  a  wisdom  which  cannot 
be  received  at  any  school  or  college  of  secular 
knowledge.  Her  lessons  are  learned  at  the  feet 
of  Christ,  who  is  '^^made  unto  us  wisdom"  (1  Cor. 
i.  30),  whose  words  make  men  "  wise  unto  salva- 
tion." The  mysteries  of  His  gospel  are  hidden 
only  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  they  are  revealed 
unto  babes. 

4.  enticing  words.  Rather,  "  persuasiveness  of 
speech  "  ;  an  excellent  thing  in  itself,  to  be  assidu- 
ously cultivated  by  all  who  have  a  noble  cause  to 
plead,  but,  like  every  other  art,  easily  perverted  to 
ignoble  uses.  The  Colossians  were  the  victims  of 
orators  who  could  prove  that  black  was  white. 

5.  absent  in  the  flesh  .  .  .  with  you  in  the 
spirit.  In  the  spirit  Paul  is  well-nigh  ubiquitous. 
Love  gives  wings  to  his  imagination,  and  in  one 
moment  he  is  here,  there,  everywhere.  So  vivid  is  his 
power  of  visualising  distant  things  that  they  impress 
him  as  much  as  if  he  were  an  eager  onlooker.  He 
begins   to  pray  for   Colossae,    and,    praesto !    he    is 


Colossians  ii.  1-7  53 

there,  joying  and  beholding  the  church's  order 
and  Stedfastness  !  These  last  words  are  military 
terms,  such  as  abound  in  the  Roman  letters.  With 
soldiers  all  around  him  by  day  and  night,  Paul 
began  to  think  in  martial  language.  The  church 
at  Colossae  as  a  whole  was  like  a  company  of  strong 
Praetorians,  drawn  up  in  brave  array,  presenting 
a  solid,  impenetrable  front.  This  is  very  high 
praise.  It  proves  conclusively  that  the  greater  part 
of  the  Colossian  Church  was  still  firm  in  its  allegiance 
to  Christ.  The  danger  of  apostasy  was  real,  but 
a  timely  warning  would  surely  avert  it. 

6,  7.  ye  received  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord. 
The  full  name  is  deeply  significant.  Faith  is  the 
act  of  receiving  (l)  the  promised  Christ,  (2)  the 
historical  Jesus,  (3)  the  universal  Lord.  As 
Messiah,  as  Man,  and  as  Master  He  is  unique  and 
supreme  in  this  world.  But  more ;  His  lordship 
is  unlimited ;  He  whose  throne  is  the  human  heart 
is  Lord  of  all  worlds,  walk  .  .  .  rooted  .  .  . 
builded  up.  Paul  was  never  greatly  troubled  by 
mixed  metaphors.  There  are  a  good  many  of 
them  in  his  letters.  Imagery  came  naturally  to 
him,  but  he  wrote  with  his  eye  on  spiritual  facts 
rather  than  rhetorical  figures.  Here  he  wishes  a 
Christian's  faith  to  be  at  once  practical  as  a  man's 
daily  walk,  firm  as  the  roots  of  a  tree,  and  stately 
as  the  walls  of  a  palace,  abounding  in  thanks- 
giving. '^^  Abounding  "  is  one  of  Paul's  favourite 
words,  and  it  is  strongly  indicative  of  his  tempera- 
ment. He  uses  it  some  fifteen  times,  and  he  always 
seems  to  image  the  Christian  life  as  a  brimming  river, 
full  to  overflowing.  As  he  can  say  ''  I  have  all 
things  and  abound  "  (Phil.  iv.  18),  he  feels  it  natural 
to  abound  most  of  all  in  gratitude. 


54  Westminster  New  Testament 

Col.  ii.  8-15. 
ALL  FULNESS  DWELLS  IN  CHRIST. 

8  Beware  lest  any  man  spoil  you  through  philosophy  and 
vain   deceit,   after  the  tradition   of  men,  after   the   rudi- 

9  ments  of  the  world,   and  not  after  Christ.     For  in  him 

10  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily.  And  ye 
are  complete  in  him,  which  is  the  head  of  all  principality 

1 1  and  power :  in  whom  also  ye  are  circumcised  with  the 
circumcision  made  without  hands,  in  putting  off  the  body 
of  the   sins  of  the   flesh  by  the   circumcision  of  Christ : 

12  buried  with  him  in  baptism,  wherein  also  ye  are  risen  with 
him  through  the  faith  of  the  operation  of  God,  who  hath 

13  raised  him  from  the  dead.  And  you,  being  dead  in  your 
sins  and  the  uncircumcision  of  your  flesh,  hath  he 
quickened    together   with  him,   having    forgiven   you   all 

14  trespasses ;  blotting  out  the  handwriting  of  ordinances 
that  was  against  us,  which  was  contrary  to  us,  and  took 

1 5  it  out  of  the  way,  nailing  it  to  his  cross  ;  and  having 
spoiled  principalities  and  powers,  he  made  a  shew  of  them 
openly,  triumphing  over  them  in  it. 

The  Colossians  must  not  allow  themselves  to  be 
captivated  by  an  empty  philosophy  and  human 
traditions,  which  would  substitute  the  elements  of 
the  world  for  the  living  Christ.  In  Him  is  all  the 
fulness  of  God,  and  they  live  a  full  life  in  Him. 
They  need  no  circumcision  of  the  flesh,  having  in 
Him  that  of  the  Spirit.  God  has  raised  them  with 
Christ  from  death  to  life,  forgiven  their  sins  for  His 
sake,  cancelled  the  hostile  law  on  His  cross,  and 
triumphed  over  the  principalities  and  powers. 

8.  spoil  you.  The  R.V.'s  "maketh  spoil  of 
you"  is  too  stiff.  '^'^ Capture  you,"  "carry  you 
away,"   "captivate   you,"   is  the   meaning   of  the 


Colossians  ii.  8-15  55 

word.  Don't  let  yourselves  be  caught !  through 
his  philosophy.  This  is  the  only  time  that  Paul 
uses  the  word^  and  if  he  were  a  modern  he  would 
put  it  in  inverted  commas.  He  is  using  it  ironically 
as  the  grand  name  chosen  by  the  Colossian  teachers 
for  their  specious  system.  He  says  nothing  against 
true  philosophy — "  the  love  of  wisdom."  He  treated 
the  philosophers  of  Athens  very  courteously 
(Acts  xvii.  18).     Milton  is  justified  in  saying — 

"  But  charming  is  Divine  philosophy, 
Not  harsh  and  crabbed  as  dull  fools  suppose, 
But  musical  as  is  Apollo's  lute." 

How  different  was  this  crude  Colossian 
"philosophy/'  half  Judaic,  half  Gnostic,  which 
Paul  impatiently  dismisses  as  empty  deceit !  Its 
advocates  had  convinced  themselves  that  it  was 
the  panacea  for  human  ills,  and  their  eloquence 
made  it  seem  plausible  enough.  It  gave  ex- 
pression to  certain  ideas  which  were  floating  in  the 
air  at  the  time,  and  certain  tendencies  which 
reappear  in  human  nature  at  all  times.  But  as 
a  gospel  it  was  a  hollow  deception.  There 
was      nothing      in     it      but      wind.       after     the 

tradition  of  men.  Cf.  Mark.  vii.  8.  the 
rudiments  of  the  world.  Better,  "elements." 
For  the  interpretation  of  the  epistle  this  word 
is  of  the  utmost  importance.  It  does  not  mean 
elementary  teaching,  like  the  "  rudiments  " 
of  Latin  or  the  "elements"  of  Euclid. 
It  means  the  personal  elemental  spirits  —  the 
angels  —  of  stars,  winds,  clouds,  heat,  cold, 
and  so  forth.  These  spirits  were  supposed  to 
animate  and  rule  the  whole  material  world,  and 
to  control  human  destinies.     They  are  ranked  as 


56   Westminster  New  Testament 

"  thrones,  dominions,  principalities,  and  powers " 
(of.  i.  16).  They  are  greatly  to  be  feared,  devoutly 
to  be  worshipped,  earnestly  to  be  appeased.  They 
act  as  mediators  between  the  absolute  God  and 
sinful  matter,  and  if  they  are  friendly  they  can 
intercede  for  men.  To  know  them  is  the  higher 
"knowledge."  Their  cult  supplements  {sotto  voce 
supplants)  simple  Christianity.  This  was  the  new 
teaching  at  Colossae.  Of  course  it  was  extremely 
old.  Animism  is  probably  the  most  ancient  of  all 
forms  of  religion,  and  not  after  Christ.  Not 
according  to,  in  harmony  with,  Christ.  A  most 
suggestive  and  satisfying  phrase.  Christ  is  the  one 
rule  and  standard  of  faith  and  life.  To  be  in  per- 
fect accord  with  His  mind  and  will  is  all  that  the 
Colossian  Christian,  or  any  Christian,  needs.  Why 
seek  communion  with  "the  beggarly  elements," 
when  "we  have  the  mind  of  Christ "  }  The  spirits 
of  Nature  can  never  help  us  as  His  Holy  Spirit  can. 
9.  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead.  "  Fulness "  is 
the  sum  of  the  powers  and  attributes  of  Deity 
(see  p.  44).  In  Greek  there  are  two  words  for 
"  Godhead,"  with  only  an  iota  of  difference  betw^een 
them;  the  one  expresses  the  quality,  the  other 
the  essence,  of  Deity.  It  is  the  second  that  is 
used  here.  In  Christ  incarnate — now  risen  and 
glorified,  but  still  clothed  in  human  form — dwells 
the  plenitude  of  true  Deity.  He  not  only  has  for 
us  the  value  of  God,  He  is  God.  The  doctrine  is 
difficult  to  believe,  but  once  believed  it  is  the 
master-key  that  turns  every  lock. 

"  I  say,  the  acknowledgment  of  God  in  Christ 
Accepted  by  the  reason,  solves  for  thee 
All  questions  in  the  earth  and  out  of  it." 

(Browning.) 


Colossians  ii.  8-15  57 

10.  ye    are    complete    in    him.    "In    Him 

(emphatic)  ye  are  made  full."  All  who  are  in 
vital  union  Avith  Him  receive  of  His  fulness,  and 
so  are  themselves  made  full.  The  brimming 
fountain  fills  every  vessel  that  is  brought  to  it. 
Divine  love  in  Christ  expands  to  an  ocean  fulness, 
where  there  is  enough  for  everybody  (cf.  John 
i.  16).  who  is  the  Head.  Christ  has  sovereign 
power  over  all  those  high  elemental  spirits  of 
nature,  by  whatever  sonorous  names  they  may  be 
called,  such  as  principalities  and  powers.  We 
are  complete  in  Him,  without  them.  Why  invoke 
angelic  mediators  to  eke  out  His  supposed 
imperfections  ? 

11.  circumcision.  There  were  two  kinds,  the 
one  made  by  hands,  the  other  without ;  the  one 
a  physical  mark,  the  other  a  new  creation, 
synonymous  with  conversion.  The  one  left  the 
natural  man  as  he  was,  the  other  took  him  out  of 
the  body  of  the  flesh  into  the  realm  of  the 
Spirit.  The  one  was  of  Moses,  being  prescribed 
by  the  lawgiver ;  the  other  (though  often  taught 
even  in  the  O.T.)  was  distinctively  of  Christ, 
whose  religion  is  always  inward  and  spiritual. 
The  Colossians— all  who  were  genuine  converts — 
had  the  inward  reality,  and  needed  no  obsolete 
symbol,  whatever  the  "enlightened"  might  say 
(cf.  Gal.  iii.  3). 

12.  buried  .  .  .  raised.  The  completeness  of 
the  spiritual  change  is  here  indicated  in  another 
way.  So  closely  are  we  united  to  Christ,  that  we 
die  with  Him  and  rise  again  with  Him  (cf. 
Rom.  vi.  3,  4).  Such  power  has  our  faith  in  the 
working  of  God,  who  raised  Christ  from  the  dead, 
that   we   ourselves   die    unto    sin    and   live   unto 


58    Westminster  New  Testament 

righteousness.  This  spiritual  renewal  was  beauti- 
fully symbolised  by  baptism  in  its  primitive  form  of 
immersion. 

13.  you,  being  dead.  An  appalling  expression. 
Walking,  talking,  eating,  drinking,  but  dead !  It 
means  destitute  of  the  life  which  is  life  indeed, 
the  life  from,  in,  with,  and  for  God.  Like  the  body 
that  is  separate  from  the  soul,  so  the  soul  that  is 
separate  from  God  is  dead.  The  wages  of  sin  is, 
here  and  now,  death.  Paul  reminds  the  Colos- 
sians  that  they  were  also  dead  for  another  reason — 
through  their  alienation  from  the  commonwealth  of 
Israel,  which  is  proved  by  the  uncircumcision  of 
their  flesh.  This  was  rather  their  misfortune 
than  their  fault.  But  now  they  have  experienced 
the  power  of  God,  who  animates  the  dead.  He 
quickened  them,  raised  them  to  life,  at  the  time 
when  He  forgave  all  their  trespasses,  justification 
and  regeneration  being  two  aspects  of  one  and  the 
same  spiritual  crisis.  There  is  perfect  harmony 
between  Paul's  forensic  and  ethical  conceptions  of 
the  Atonement.  We  note  that,  in  order  to  identify 
himself  with  his  readers  alike  in  their  sin  and 
forgiveness,  he  suddenly  changes  his  pronoun : 
"  you  did  He  quicken,  having  forgiven  21s  all  our 
trespasses  "  (R.V.). 

14.  the  bond.  There  is  an  aspect  in  which 
the  law  is  a  bond  that  is  against  us,  rigorously  and 
remorselessly  demanding  its  pound  of  flesh — our 
life.  Unlike  Shylock's  bond,  it  is  just.  But  in  a 
tremendous  figure  Paul  assures  us  that  God  in 
mercy  took  that  bond — that  legal  warrant — and 
nailed  it  to  the  cross,  the  same  nails  that  pierced 
the  hands  of  His  Son  rending  the  accusing  docu- 
ment to   pieces   and   nullifying   it.     Or,  in  other 


Colossians  ii.  16-23  59 

figures,  the  bond  written  in  ordinances  is  wiped 
out,  like  writing  from  a  tablet;  cleared  OUt  of 
the  way,  like  stumbling-blocks  from  a  path.  The 
whole  verse  is  evidently  dictated  in  a  spirit  of 
passionate  gratitude.  The  writer  knew  both  the 
bondage  of  the  law  and  the  freedom  of  the  gospel 
— the  haunting  fears  of  Judaism,  the  perfect  peace 
of  Christianity. 

15.  having  despoiled  the  principalities  and 
powers.  See  ver.  8.  The  connection  between 
these  spiritual  beings  and  the  cancelled  bond  is 
this.  The  law  was  believed  to  have  been  given 
through  angels,  who  are  here  called,  as  before, 
principalities  and  powers  (cf  Gal.  iii.  19).  As 
soon  as  the  bond  was  nailed  to  the  cross  and  the 
law  abrogated,  the  power  of  the  angels  of  the  law 
was  gone.  Through  that  cross  God  despoiled 
them,  making  a  shew  of  them  openly, 
triumphing  over  them  in  it.  These  dread 
ministers  of  the  law  have  done  their  duty,  and  are 
now  discharged.  Their  day  is  past,  their  sceptre 
is  broken.  Are  the  Colossians  to  worship  them,  or 
the  Lord  of  all  men  and  angels  ? 


Col.  ii.  16-23. 
CHRISTIAN  LIBERTY. 

16  Let  no  man  therefore  judge  you  in  meat,  or  in  drink, 
or  in  respect  of  an  holyday,  or  of  the  new  moon,  or  of 

17  the  sabbath  days  :  which  are  a  shadow  of  things  to  come  ; 

18  but  the  body  is  of  Christ.  Let  no  man  beguile  you  of 
your  reward  in  a  voluntary  humility  and  worshipping  of 
angels,    intruding   into   those   things   which   he  hath  not 

19  seen,  vainly  puffed  up  by  his  fleshly  mind,  and  not  hold- 


6o  Westminster  New  Testament 

ing  the    Head,  from   which   all   the  body  by  joints   and 
bands  having  nourishment  ministered,  and  knit  together, 

20  increaseth  with  the  increase  of  God.  Wherefore  if  ye 
be  dead  with  Christ  from  the  rudiments  of  the  world, 
why,    as    though    living    in    the   world,    are   ye    subject 

21  to    ordinances,    (Touch    not ;     taste    not ;    handle    not ; 

22  which  all  are  to  perish  with  the  using  ;)  after  the  command- 

23  ments  and  doctrines  of  men  ?  Which  things  have  indeed 
a  shew  of  wisdom  in  will  worship,  and  humility,  and 
neglecting  of  the  body ;  not  in  any  honour  to  the 
satisfying  of  the  flesh. 

Being  set  free  from  the  law,  and  raised  to  a  new 
life  in  Christ,  the  Colossians  must  not  submit  to 
legal  ordinances,  which  are  but  a  shadow  of  the 
blessings  which  they  have  already  received.  They 
must  not  surrender  their  precious  liberty  at  the 
behest  of  angel-worshippers  who  have  lost  their 
hold  of  Christ,  the  Head,  from  whom  the  body 
receives  all  its  nourishment.  Being  liberated  from 
the  power  of  elemental  spirits,  let  them  see  the 
futility  of  ascetic  practices,  which  procure  for  men 
a  reputation  for  wisdom,  but  give  them  no  real 
power  to  subdue  their  bodily  appetites.  From  the 
morally  indifferent  questions  of  food  and  ceremonial 
cleanness  Paul  earnestly  seeks  to  turn  the  minds 
of  the  Colossians  to  the  vital  problems  of  moral 
conduct. 

16.  Let  no  man  judge  you.  Christian  Hberty 
is  very  dear  to  Paul.  He  asserts  it  here  as 
earnestly,  though  not  quite  so  vehemently,  as  he 
did  in  Galatians.  Many  things  once  counted 
essential  are  now  to  him  matters  of  indifference. 
^'  Thou  shalt  "  is  changed  into  ^'  You  may  or  may 
not,  as  you  please."  The  Christian  is  free  from  the 
law.       On  hygienic  or  philanthropic  grounds  the 


Colossians  ii.  16-23  61 

Colossian  believer  may  still  abstain  from  certain 
meats  and  drinks,  and  on  religious  grounds  he  may 
still  observe  certain  sacred  days.  But  he  must 
do  neither  on  legal  grounds ;  he  should  both 
claim  for  himself  and  give  to  every  other  man 
freedom  to  follow  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life. 
Spiritual  tyranny  is  the  worst  kind  of  despot- 
ism. 

17.  the  shadow  ...  the  body.  The  Old 
Testament  adumbrates  the  New ;  ''  shadow  and 
body "  means  shadow  and  substance.  The 
Colossian  teachers  were  like  the  dog  in  ^sop's 
fable,  that  snatched  at  the  image  and  lost  the 
bone.     They  did  not  hold  fast  Christ  (ver.  19). 

18.  Let  no  man  rob  you  of  your  prize  (R.V.). 
The  figure  is  athletic,  taken  from  the  racecourse 
(cf.   Phil.   iii.    14).     by  a  voluntary  humility 

and  worshipping  of  angels.  These  two  phrases 
throw  light  on  one  another.  The  Colossian 
teachers  were  too  humble  to  go  into  the  immediate 
presence  of  God,  where  only  the  highest  "  princi- 
palities and  powers"  might  venture  nigh.  They 
would  not  ^^  rush  in  where  angels  feared  to  tread." 
They  felt  they  needed  a  long  succession  of  created 
spirits  to  mediate  between  them  and  the  absolute, 
unapproachable  Deity.  Their  lowliness  of  mind 
constrained  them  to  bow  down  before  His  ministers 
and  supplicate  their  aid.  Paul  calls  this  a  volun- 
tary, artificial,  uncalled-for  humility,  not  to  speak 
of  its  idolatry.  The  one  Mediator  between  God 
and  man  teaches  that  God  is  a  perfectly  approach- 
able Father.  This  makes  angelolatry  superfluous. 
Children  do  not  need  a  company  of  go-betweens 
to  plead  their  cause ;  they  climb  their  father's 
knee  and  speak  for  themselves,     dwelling  in  the 


62   Westminster  New  Testament 

things  which  he  hath  seen  (R.V.).  This  is 
probably  the  true  reading,  the  best  MSS  omitting 
the  negative.  The  words  are  ironical.  Some  of 
the  Colossian  teachers  were  visionaries,  spiritualists. 
They  made  a  parade  of  the  manifestations  and 
communications  which  they  received,  apparently 
from  angels,  in  dreams  and  trance-states.  Paul 
does  not  believe  in  the  things  which  they  have 
seen,  vainly  puffed  up.  This  shows  the  value 
of  their  humility.  Their  penetration  of  the 
secrets  of  the  angel -world  inflates  their  self- 
conceit.  They  despise  the  commonplace  religion 
of  the  uninitiated  Christian.  They  have  the 
knowledge  which  pufFeth  up,  not  the  love  which 
buildeth  up. 

19.  not  holding  fast  the  Head.  The  Head 
is  Christ,  who  has  twice  already  been  so  named 
in  the  epistle.  To  lose  hold  of  the  Head,  from 
whatever  cause,  is  a  fatal  schism.  It  means 
becoming  a  withered  limb.  From  the  Head  the 
whole  spiritual  organism,  the  Church,  receives  a 
constant  supply  of  life  and  power,  and  so  increases 
with  the  increase  of  God.  This  is  Paul's  way 
of  accounting  for  the  growth  of  the  Church.  So 
long  as  she  keeps  herself  in  contact  with  her 
Divine  Head,  she  cannot  but  grow.  God  giveth 
the  increase.  Gibbon's  famous  Five  Causes  of 
the  progress  of  the  early  Church  left  out  the  final 
Cause. 

20,21.  if  ye  be  dead.  Better,  "if  ye  died."  "If" 
assumes  a  fact.  The  Colossians  have  had  a  definite 
experience  which  the  apostle  calls  "death."  Con- 
version is  the  rending  asunder  of  things  that  have 
been  vitally  united.  As  the  natural  separation  of 
the  soul   from   the  body  is   death,  so   the  moral 


Colossians  ii.  16-23  63 

separation  of  the  soul  from  the  world  and  sin 
is  death.  In  both  cases  a  man  may  ''  take  an 
unconscionable  time  in  dying/'  but  death  itself 
occurs  at  a  definite  moment.  from  the  rudi- 
ments. See  p.  55.  as  though  living  in  the 
world.  Of  course  in  a  sense  they^  as  Christians, 
7vere  still  living  in  the  world,  but  not  in  the  sense 
of  being  conformed  to  its  tastes  and  habits.  They 
were  crucified  to  the  world.  Their  true  life  was 
hid  with  Christ  in  God.  why  do  ye  subject 
yourselves  to  ordinances?  It  is  extremely 
probable  that  Paul's  early  life  had  been  plagued  by 
"ordinances.''  "Handle  not,  taste  not,  touch 
not "  (observe  the  climax)  had  been  dinned 
into  his  ears  till  the  parrot-words  tormented  him 
day  and  night.  Now  he  is  joyously  free,  and  he 
calls  on  every  believer  to  share  his  buoyancy  of 
spirit.  When  Luther  passed  from  the  same  miser- 
able bondage  to  the  same  glorious  liberty,  he 
wrote  his  splendid  treatise  "  Of  the  Freedom  of  a 
Christian  Man."  Faith  does  not  bind  us  with 
prohibitions  or  prescriptions,  it  makes  us  the 
unfettered  followers  of  Christ  (cf.  John  viii.  S6). 

22.  all  which  things.  The  things  which  are 
not  to  be  handled,  tasted,  touched.  Paul  appeals 
to  common  sense.  If  we  do  taste  and  eat  these 
meats,  well,  there  is  an  end  of  them.  They  perish 
with  the  using.  Why  should  we  attach  any 
moral  value  to  them  ?  (cf.  Matt.  xv.  11). 

23.  Which  things  have  a  shew  of  wisdom. 
These  "  creeds  which  deny  and  restrain  "  are  based 
on  a  certain  philosophy  of  life.  If  matter  is  essenti- 
ally evil,  and  the  body  the  seat  of  sin — which  was 
the  well-nigh  universal  assumption  of  those  times — 
then  reason  demands  that  the  natural  instincts  of 


64   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  vile  body  should  be  sternly  repressed.  This 
line  of  argument  has  given  a  show  of  wisdom  to 
asceticism,  which  is  here  called  ^^  severity  to  the 
body,"  or,  more  literally,  "  unsparing  treatment  of 
the  body."  But  the  primary  hypothesis  is  false. 
The  body  is  not  the  seat  of  evil ;  it  is  not  vile. 

"Let  us  not  always  say, 
'  Spite  of  this  flesh  to-day, 

I  strove,  made  head,  gained  ground  upon  the  whole  ! ' 
As  the  bird  wings  and  sings, 
Let  us  cry,   '  All  good  things 

Are   ours,  nor   soul   helps    flesh   more,  now,  than   flesh 
helps  soul ! ' " 

will-worship.  Worship  according  to  our  own 
will.  If  God  requires  us  to  serve  Him  in  one 
way,  and  we,  with  the  best  intentions  and  the 
deepest  reverence,  do  it  in  another  way,  our 
devotion  is  will-worship.  The  other  name  for  it 
is  wilfulness.  The  Indian  fakir  and  the  Roman 
devotee  try  to  please  God  by  abjuring  all  pleasure. 
Who  bade  them  do  it  ?  The  spirit  of  genuine  re- 
nunciation is  expressed  in  the  words,  "  I  worship 
thee,  sweet  will  of  God."  humility.  See  ver.  18. 
The  last  words  of  the  chapter  are  difficult ;  the 
R.V.  is  probably  right.  Ascetic  practices  are  not 
in  any  value  against  the  indulgence  of  the 
flesh.  Here  "  the  flesh  "  has  its  technical  Pauline 
meaning — the  natural  man,  the  unregenerate  self 
The  monk  who  mortifies  his  body  by  wearing  a 
hair-shirt  may  all  the  time  be  subtly  pleasing  him- 
self, feeding  his  own  vanity,  and  so  indulging  "  the 
flesh."  The  self  needs  something  more  than  re- 
pression ;  it  needs  the  impartation  of  that  Divine 
life  which  renews  and  transforms  the  whole  man- 
hood, body  and  soul  alike. 


Colossians  iii.  1-4  65 


Col.  iii.  1-4. 

THE  RISEN  LIFE. 

If  ye  then  be  risen  with  Christ,  seek  those  things  which 
are  above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God. 

2  Set  your  affection  on  things  above,  not  on  things  on  the 

3  earth.     For  ye  are  dead,  and  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ 

4  in  God.     When  Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  then 
shall  ye  also  appear  with  him  in  glory. 

Here  controversy  ends.  Paul  turns  with  delight 
from  the  exposure  of  the  false  to  the  exposition 
of  the  true.  Let  the  Colossian  Christians^  eschew- 
ing the  cold  rigours  of  legalism  and  asceticism, 
understand  that  they  belong  to  a  much  more 
congenial  order  of  things.  Risen  with  Christ,  they 
have  only  to  realise  the  Christ-life,  which  is  already 
potentially  theirs.  It  is  now  a  hidden  life,  but  it 
will  one  day  be  fully  manifested,  when  all  be- 
lievers will  participate  in  the  glory  of  the  returning 
Christ. 

1.  If  ye  were  raised.  The  "if"  is  logical.  It 
does  not  insinuate  a  doubt,  but  posits  a  fact.  We 
might  say  "since."  Christians  are  dead  (ver.  3) 
and  "raised  together  with  Christ."  Every  fact 
in  the  Redeemer's  career  becomes  a  moral  and 
spiritual  experience  in  the  life  of  the  believer. 
seek  the  things  that  are  above.  It  is  natural 
for  the  re-born  soul  to  aspire.  Its  cry  is  ever 
Excelsior !  The  things  that  are  pure,  holy, 
spiritual,  heavenly,  are  its  native  air.  It  cannot 
be  satisfied  with  an  earthly  environment.  It  must 
be  in  spirit  where  Christ  is.  Christianity  is  the 
elevation  of  our  whole  manhood  into  a  Divine  realm 
of  thought  and  action.     "  Hitch  your  wagon  to  a 

5 


66   Westminster  New  Testament 

star/'  was  Emerson's  advice.     "  Attach  yourself  to 
the  risen  Christ/'  is  Paul's. 

2.  Set  your  mind  on  the  things  .  .  .  above, 
not  ...  on  the  earth.  Faith  gives  a  man  at 
once  a  wonderful  detachment  and  a  wonderful 
attachment  of  spirit.  It  alters  all  his  tastes  and 
desires^  so  that  he  is  no  longer  fascinated  by  the 
world  of  illusion  and  change^  but  gives  his  heart 
to  the  eternal  realities  of  the  kingdom  of  God  (cf. 
Matt.  vi.  19-21). 

3.  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God.  ''  The 
world/'  says  Bengel,  "knows  neither  Christ  nor 
Christians^  and  Christians  do  not  even  clearly  know 
themselves."  The  Christian  life  is  at  once  patent 
and  latent.  While  we  admire  its  flowers  and  fruits, 
we  cannot  see  the  hidden  roots.  The  brimming 
river  glides  before  our  eyes,  but  among  what  far-off 
hills  did  it  take  its  rise  ?  Christian  manhood  and 
womanhood  attract  every  beholder  by  their  grace 
and  strength,  sweetness  and  purity.  But  what  is 
seen  is  only  an  effect.  The  cause  is  to  be  sought 
not  in  the  abysmal  deeps  of  personality,  but  in 
the  soul's  mystic  union  with  her  risen  and  glorified 
Redeemer. 

4.  Christ,  who  is  our  life.  In  the  previous 
verse  our  life  is  said  to  be  hid  with  Christ,  in 
this  one  it  is  said  that  He  is  the  Life  (cf.  John 
i.  1).  When  He  called  Himself  the  Life  (John 
xi.  25,  xiv.  6),  He  implied  more  than  that  He  is  the 
Possessor  and  Bestower  of  life.  He  meant  that  the 
life  which  He  imparts  is  Himself.  He  quickens 
us  by  giving  us  His  own  very  being,  making  us 
partakers  of  His  Divine  nature.  The  Holy  Spirit 
is  the  Life-Giver,  Christ  is  the  Life.  Our  know- 
ledge of  our  own  true  life  is  at  present  as  imperfect 


Colossians  iii.  5-1 1  67 

as  our  knowledge  of  His  resurrection  life.  But 
when  He  shall  be  manifested,  returning  to  reign 
in  power  and  splendour,  then  all  who  are  one  with 
Him  shall  be  manifested  with  Him ;  they  shall  be 
seen  in  their  true  colours  and  come  to  their  own, 
participating  by  grace  in  His  glory. 


Col.  iii.  5-11. 
SINS  TO  BE  DESTROYED. 

5  Mortify  therefore  your  members  which  are  upon  the  earth  ; 
fornication,    uncleanness,    inordinate    affection,    evil    con- 

6  cupiscence,    and    covetousness,    which    is    idolatry :     for 
which   things'    sake   the   wrath   of    God   cometh   on    the 

7  children   of  disobedience  :    in   the  which  ye  also  walked 

8  some  time,  when  ye  lived  in  them.     But  now  ye  also  put 
off   all   these ;    anger,    wrath,    malice,    blasphemy,    filthy 

9  communication  out  of  your  mouth.     Lie  not  one  to  another, 
seeing  that  ye  have  put  off  the  old  man  with  his  deeds  ; 

10  and  have  put  on  the  new  man,  w^hich  is  renewed  in  know- 

1 1  ledge  after  the  image  of  him  that  created  him  :  where 
there  is  neither  Greek  nor  Jew,  circumcision  nor  uncircum- 
cision,  Barbarian,  Scythian,  bond  nor  free :  but  Christ  is 
all,  and  in  all. 

The  Colossians  who  are  dead  and  risen  with 
Christ  are  summoned  to  the  Christian's  true  task, 
which  is  not  speculative  but  practical.  They  have 
it  in  their  power  to  put  to  death  all  the  grosser 
sins  of  impurity  and  put  away  the  subtler  sins  of 
malice.  Holiness,  both  negative  and  positive,  is 
a  possibility  to  those  who  have  once  for  all  put  off 
as  an  unclean  garment  the  old  self,  and  put  on  as  a 
stainless  robe  the  new  self,  which  is  the  gift  of  the 


68    Westminster  New  Testament 

Creator  and  His  own  likeness.  The  new  creation 
raises  men  of  every  race  and  condition  to  the  same 
spiritual  status,  Christ  being  the  one  Ideal  of  re- 
deemed humanity,  and  bringing  the  same  blessings 
to  all. 

5.  Mortify  your  members.  Better,  "put  to 
death/'  "slay,"  "kill"  (cf  Matt.  v.  29,30).  "I 
find  it  hard  to  be  a  Christian,"  said  Browning,  and 
it  is  harder  morally  than  intellectually.  For  to  be 
a  Christian  a  man  must  wage  a  ceaseless  warfare 
Math  the  passions  and  desires  of  his  lower  nature. 
"  Thoughts  must  be  slain  which  disobey."  "  No 
matter  how,  if  only  sin  dies  out  in  me."  your 
members  must  be  slain,  not  as  if  they  were  the 
seat  of  sin — the  will  is  that — but  because  they 
have  been  the  tools  and  weapons  of  the  old 
sinful  self.  This  use  they  have  upon  the  earth, 
as  the  scene  of  temptation.  From  the  bodily 
members  to  their  sinful  activities  the  transition  in 
the  apostle's  mind  is  swift  and  impatient,  so  that  he 
makes  things  concrete  and  things  abstract  stand 
in  a  somewhat  bizarre  apposition.  He  is  thinking 
of  the  nastiness  of  sin,  and  neglects  the  niceties 
of  grammar.  The  black  catalogue  which  follows 
would  be  quite  different  in  the  polite  speech  of 
men  of  the  world.  The  vices  enumerated  are 
various  forms  of  "love,"  which  serious  men  brand 
with  words  of  loathing.  The  perversions  of  that 
holy  passion  which  is  "  a  very  flame  of  the  Lord  " 
are  the  most  degrading  of  sins.  "  Slay  them,"  says 
the  indignant  apostle,  naming  them  as  criminals 
to  be  given  over  to  the  executioner.  To  sins  of 
impurity  Paul  significantly  adds  COvetousneSS, 
the  worship  of  gold.  "  How  many  respectable 
middle-aged  gentlemen  are  now   mainly   devoted 


Colossians  iii.  5-1 1  69 

to   making    money^    whose   youth    was   foul    with 
sensual  indulgence  !  "  (Maclaren). 

6.  the  wrath  of  God.  His  personal  moral 
indignation ;  His  love,  pained  and  wounded,  com- 
pelled to  scourge  and  chastise.  This  is  one  of 
His  essential  attributes,  wide  as  the  poles  asunder 
from  that  impotent  good-nature  which  we  so 
readily  ascribe  to  Him.  His  power  to  make  us 
holy,  and  so  happy,  lies  in  the  very  resentment 
which  consumes  our  sins.  "  The  love  which  draws 
us  nearer  Thee  is  hot  with  wrath  to  them."  the 
sons  of  disobedience  is  a  Hebrew  idiom.  The 
abstract  principle  of  unbelief  or  disobedience  is 
figured  as  giving  birth  to  children  and  claiming 
them  for  its  own  (cf.  Luke  vii.  35). 

7.  some  time  is  Old  English  for  "at  one  time," 
"once."  So  in  Shakespeare,  "Our  sometime 
sister,  now  our  queen."  ye  lived  in  these 
things.  "Lived"  means  more  than  "existed." 
All  that  "life"  meant  to  them,  all  its  zest  and 
pleasure,  was  extracted  by  them  from  these  gross 
sins.  It  is  the  opposite  of  "  living "  in  and  for 
God. 

8.  also  ...  all  these.  Sins  of  temper  are  no 
more  to  be  spared  than  sins  of  lust.  The  Christian 
must  put  them  all  away,  without  evasion,  excep- 
tion, or  compromise.  It  is  a  poor  excuse  that  we  are 
naturally  inclined  to  be  hot-tempered,  for  it  is  the 
very  task  of  grace  to  triumph  over  nature.  Every 
rebellious  spirit  must  be  evicted  from  Mansoul, 
where  Christ  should  reign  alone.  The  R.V.  changes 
blasphemy  into  "railing,"  as  the  Greek  word 
{fylasphemia)  is  not  limited,  like  the  English,  to 
railing  against  God. 

9f  10.  Lie  not.    Veracity  was  never  an  Oriental 


70   Westminster  New  Testament 

virtue.  Hebrews  and  Greeks  alike  delighted  in 
tales  of  clever  and  successful  lying.  But  the 
Christian  must  be  true,  because  he  worships  the 
God  of  truth,  the  old  man  .  .  .  the  new  man. 
We  should  now  say  the  old  and  new  self  The 
Christian  never  loses  his  identity,  yet  he  is  perfectly 
conscious  of  being  "  a  new  creature."  His  old 
habits  of  thought  and  action  have  been  discarded 
like  a  suit  of  old  clothes.  All  things  have  become 
new  (cf.  Rom.  xiii.  14).  renewed  unto  know- 
ledge is  a  most  suggestive  phrase.  The  Gnostic 
teachers  at  Colossae  were  intellectuals,  who  believed 
that  men  could  be  initiated  into  the  higher  know- 
ledge of  God.  Salvation  was  by  illumination.  But 
Christianity  makes  short  work  of  intellectualism. 
It  teaches  that  obedience  is  the  organ  of  spiritual 
knowledge,  that  man  must  be  morally  and 
spiritually  renewed  unto  knowledge  (cf.  John 
vii.  17).  after  the  image  (of  Gen.  i.  26,  27). 
God  has  both  made  and  re-made  man  in  His  own 
image  (cf.  2  Cor.  v.  17). 

11.  there  is  neither  Greek  nor  Jew.  Better, 
"  there  cannot  be."  Not  merely  the  fact  but  the 
possibility  of  racial  division  is  negatived.  "  The 
Jews  have  no  dealings  with  the  Samaritans " 
expressed  the  old  order,  and  this  sentence  expresses 
the  new.  It  glows  with  the  writer's  own  sense  of 
wonder.  It  is  addressed  to  Phrygians  by  one  who 
used  to  be  an  ultra-Pharisee,  full  of  haughty 
contempt  for  "  lesser  breeds  without  the  law." 
His  selfish  exclusiveness  is  now  transformed  into 
a  universal  sympathy.  National  distinctions  (Greek 
and  Jew),  ceremonial  (circumcision  and  uncircum- 
cision),  educational  (barbarian,  Scythian),  social 
(bondman,  freeman),  are  all  powerless  to  keep  men 


Colossians  iii.  12-17  71 

asunder  when  they  are  united  to  Christ  Jesus,  who 
is  all  and  in  all,  filling  the  whole  of  life  with 
His  presence.  Paul  applies  this  principle  with  a 
splendid,  reckless  daring.  The  Scythians  were 
the  barbarians  par  excellence  of  his  time.  Josephus 
speaks  of  them  as  ^^  differing  little  from  wild 
beasts,"  and  Herodotus  calls  them  ^^  cannibals." 
But  Christianity  saw  in  each  of  them,  as  it  sees  in 
the  negro  of  our  time,  a  man  and  a  brother. 


Col.  iii.  12-17. 
GRACES  TO  BE  CULTIVATED. 

12  Put  on  therefore,  as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved, 
bowels  of  mercies,  kindness,  humbleness  of  mind,  meek- 

13  ness,  longsuffering ;  forbearing  one  another,  and  forgiving 
one  another,  if  any  man  have  a  quarrel  against  any  :  even 

14  as  Christ  forgave  you,  so  also  do  ye.  And  above  all  these 
things  put  on  charity,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness. 

15  And  let  the  peace  of  God  rule  in  your  hearts,  to  the  which 

16  also  ye  are  called  in  one  body;  and  be  ye  thankful.  Let 
the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  richly  in  all  wisdom  ; 
teaching  and  admonishing  one  another  in  psalms  and 
hymns   and   spiritual   songs,  singing  with   grace   in   your 

17  hearts  to  the  Lord.  And  whatsoever  ye  do  in  word  or 
deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  giving  thanks 
to  God  and  the  Father  by  him. 

Goodness  should  be  positive  as  well  as  negative. 
The  Colossians  are  to  clothe  themselves  with  all 
the  Christian  graces,  which  will  take  the  place 
of  the  heathen  vices  they  have  discarded.  Just 
because  they  are  chosen  to  salvation,  they  must 
not  proudly  keep  themselves  aloof  from  the  un- 
saved, but  ever  appear  among  them  adorned  with 


72   Westminster  New  Testament 

all  fair  charities,  girt  about  with  love.  Their  re- 
ligion must  be  of  the  heart.  Compassion  in  the 
heart,  peace  in  the  heart,  music  in  the  heart  will 
commend  it  sweetly  to  others.  Let  Christ's  ex- 
ample be  their  guide,  Christ's  word  their  wisdom, 
Christ's  name  their  inspiration  for  all  service. 

12.  God's  elect,  holy  and  beloved.  Three 
epithets  applicable  to  every  Christian.  He  is  chosen, 
consecrated,  loved  by  God.  The  initial  steps  in  his 
salvation  were  taken  not  by  himself  but  by  God, 
who  called  him  in  grace  and  marked  him  for  His 
own ;  and  now  the  sense  of  God's  abiding  love 
makes  him  passionately  eager  to  do  all  His  will. 
bowels  of  mercies.  Or,  "a  heart  of  compassion." 
The  Jews  regarded  the  intestines  as  the  seat  of 
feeling,  we  regard  the  heart.  Both  ideas  are,  of 
course,  psychologically  wrong,  but  when  such  ex- 
pressions are  once  popularised,  they  endure  like  the 
language  itself. 

13.  kindness  .  .  .  meekness  .  .  .  forbear- 
ing .  .  .  forgiving.  These  words  reflect  that 
new  Christian  spirit  in  the  presence  of  one's 
enemies  which  completely  changed  human  life  in 
the  old  world.  As  Seeley  has  finely  shown  in  his 
Ecce  Homo,  while  the  ancients  regarded  it  as  an 
amazing  stretch  of  goodness  for  a  man  to  waive  his 
right  of  revenge,  Christ  has  made  forgivingness  the 
normal  attitude  of  all  His  followers  towards  His 

and  their  adversaries,  even  as  the  Lord  forgave 
you.  The  term  "  even  as  "  occurs  very  frequently 
in  the  New  Testament.  To  study  all  the  uses  of 
it  is  an  excellent  way  of  drinking  in  the  Spirit  of 
our  Lord  and  learning  to  walk  in  His  steps.  It 
contains  a  startling  revelation  of  the  possibilities 
of  Christianity  as  Christ-likeness.     "Forgive  one 


Colossians  iii.  12-17  73 

another"  is  made  a  new  commandment  by  this 
mighty  motive  and  this  perfect  pattern — "  even  as 
the  Lord  forgave  you." 

14.  above  all  these  things.  ''Better,  "over," 
keeping  the  metaphor  of  clothing,  love,  which 
is  the  bond  of  perfectness.  Weymouth  here 
misses  the  point  by  translating  "  the  perfect  bond 
of  union."  The  apostle  is  not  speaking  of  Christian 
union,  but  of  that  love  which  is  the  bond  of  all 
the  Christian  graces,  keeping  them  together  and 
fostering  their  full  and  harmonious  development. 

15.  the  peace  of  God.  The  best  MSS  have 
"of  Christ."  This  means  more  than  the  peace 
which  Christ  gives  us ;  it  is  that  very  peace  which 
reigned  in  His  own  heart  because  His  will  was  in 
perfect  accord  with  the  Father's  will  (cf.  John 
xiv.  27).  "  In  His  will  is  our  peace,"  says  Dante. 
to  which  ye  were  called.  Hence  we  are  to 
understand  that  we  never  quite  fulfil  our  vocation, 
never  fully  realise  the  purpose  of  God,  till  the 
peace  of  Christ  rules  in  our  hearts. 

16.  the  word  of  Christ.  The  gospel  is  so 
named  here  alone.  The  genitive  may  be  objective 
or  subjective — the  word  spoken  about  Christ,  or 
the  word  spoken  by  Christ.  Paul  usually  says  "  the 
word  of  God,"  but  he  varies  the  expression  here 
because  throughout  this  epistle  he  is  engaged  in 
vindicating  the  honour  of  Christ.  The  gospel  is 
His  gospel,  indeed  He  is  the  gospel,  dwell  in 
you  richly.  Paul  loves  the  imagery  of  wealth. 
"  Riches  "  occurs  eight  times  in  his  Roman  letters. 
He  talks  like  a  multi-millionaire  who  has  "un- 
searchable riches"  (cf.  1  Tim.  vi.  17).  "Yet  how 
rich  is  my  condition,  God  and  Heaven  are  all  mine 

own ! "    teaching  .  .  .  with  psalms  and  hymns 


74   Westminster  New  Testament 

and  spiritual  songs.  The  gospel  was  to  be 
sweetly  sung  as  well  as  earnestly  preached.  The 
worship  of  the  early  Church  was  much  more  spon- 
taneous than  it  is  in  our  modern  assemblies  ;  far 
more  was  left  to  the  control  of  the  ever-present 
Spirit ;  prophetic  utterances  and  fervent  outbursts 
of  song  were  eagerly  welcomed.  The  end  and  aim 
of  music  was  never  mere  aesthetic  pleasure,  but 
always  definite  teaching  and  warning.  It  has  a 
magical  power  to  reach  the  hearts  which  have 
resisted  the  appeals  of  rhetoric  and  the  arguments 
of  reason,  psalms  of  the  O.T.,  hymns  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  generally  all  SOngS  (liter- 
ally odes)  filled  with  the  breath  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
were  used  in  the  primitive  Church,  singing  with 
grace  in  your  hearts.  The  order  of  the  Greek 
is  ^^with  grace  singing  in  your  hearts."  It  is  the 
song,  not  the  grace,  that  is  said  to  be  in  the  heart, 
though  of  course  the  grace  must  be  there  too. 
The  music  of  the  lips  gives  utterance  to  the  music 
of  the  soul.  "  My  cage  confines  me  round,  my 
heart's  at  liberty,"  sang  Madame  Guy  on  in  her 
French  prison. 

17.  do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

All !  Let  the  shepherd  tend  his  flocks,  the  plough- 
boy  cut  his  furrows,  the  mason  well  and  truly  lay 
his  stones,  in  that  great  Name,  and  how  all  labour 
is  hallowed  and  ennobled !  "  Thine  is  the  forge, 
the  mart,  the  loom  !  "  giving  thanks.  Only  two 
verses  back  we  read  "and  be  ye  thankful."  The 
reiteration  indicates  the  primary  importance  of  the 
act  and  the  spirit  of  thanksgiving.  If  a  man  once 
realises  that  he  is  a  debtor  to  the  grace  of  God, 
how  can  he  ever  after  help  being  thrilled  with  a 
sense  of  adoring  gratitude  ? 


Colossians  iii.  i8-iv.  i  75 


Col.  iii.  i8-iv.  i. 
RELATIVE  DUTIES. 

18  Wives,  submit  yourselves  unto  your  own  husbands,  as  it 

19  is  fit  in  the  Lord.     Husbands,  love  your  wives,  and  be  not 

20  bitter  against  them.     Children,  obey  your  parents  in  all 

21  things:  for  this  is  well  pleasing  unto  the  Lord.     Fathers, 
provoke   not   your   children   to   anger,    lest   they  be   dis- 

22  couraged.       Servants,    obey   in    all    things    your   masters 
according   to    the   flesh ;    not   with    eyeservice,    as   men- 

23  pleasers ;    but  in  singleness  of  heart,   fearing  God  :    and 
whatsoever  ye  do,  do  it  heartily,  as  to  the  Lord,  and  not 

24  unto  men  ;  knowing  that  of  the  Lord  ye  shall  receive  the 
reward  of  the  inheritance :  for  ye  serve  the  Lord  Christ. 

25  But  he  that  doeth  wrong  shall  receive  for  the  wrong  which 
iv.   I  he   hath   done :    and    there   is  no   respect   of  persons. 

Masters,  give  unto  your  servants  that  which  is  just  and 
equal ;  knowing  that  ye  also  have  a  Master  in  heaven. 

The  reciprocal  duties  of  wives  and  husbands, 
children  and  parents,  servants  and  masters,  are 
enforced  as  an  essential  part  of  their  primary  duty 
to  Christ,  who  is  here  named  seven  times,  six  times 
as  "the  Lord  "  ("  God  "  in  ver.  22  should  be  "  the 
Lord"),  and  once  as  the  "Master  in  heaven." 

18.  Wives,  be  in  subjection.  It  can  scarcely 
now  be  denied  that  Paul  here  puts  a  piece  of  old 
cloth  upon  the  new  garment  of  Christianity.  In 
some  of  his  ideas  of  woman  he  remained  a  typical 
Oriental.  Sometimes  he  qualified  his  teaching  re- 
garding her  with  a  diffident  "  I  think,"  but  here  he 
dogmatises.  Perhaps  he  enjoins  the  subjection  of 
women,  as  he  enjoined  that  of  slaves,  as  a  necessity 
for  the  times.  At  any  rate  his  teaching  in  the  one 
case  needs  to  be  revised  as  it  has  been  in  the  other. 


76  Westminster  New  Testament 

What  the  timeless  Christian  Spirit  requires  of 
husband  and  wife  is  not  lordship  and  subjection, 
but  mutual  love  and  reverence,  hallowed  in  both 
souls  by  faith  in  the  Eternal  Love,  in  the  Lord 
(cf.  vers.  20,  23).  Every  natural  human  relation- 
ship is  transfigured  in  the  light  of  the  supreme 
relationship  between  Christ  and  His  Church.  The 
secular  becomes  sacred  when  the  temporal  is  re- 
garded snh  specie  ceternitatis, 

20.  Children,  obey  your  parents.  To  this 
rule  there  is  but  one  exception — when  it  collides 
wdth  the  other  principle,  "We  must  obey  God 
rather  than  men."  No  Christian  son  or  daughter 
ever  sets  aside  the  general  rule  without  extreme 
reluctance  and  profound  regret. 

2L  children  .  .  .  discouraged.  A  child  has 
a  very  keen  sense  of  justice,  and  if  his  father  treats 
him  harshly  and  unfairly,  he  is  first  provoked 
to  bursts  of  anger,  and  then  becomes  profoundly 
discouraged.  Having  done  his  best  and  failed, 
what  is  the  good  of  trying  any  more  ?  He  loses 
heart.  Henceforth  he  will  regard  his  father — 
though  he  will  shrink  from  calling  him  a  tyrant 
— with  a  wretched,  paralysing  fear  instead  of  a 
happy,  confident  love.  Stevenson  says  it  is  better 
to  break  a  child's  neck  than  to  break  his  spirit. 

22-iv.  1.  Servants,  obey.  The  full  force  or 
this  precept  is  felt  in  the  translation,  '*  Slaves, 
obey."  Paul  does  not  sound  the  heart-stirring  note, 
"  Slaves,  be  free!"  Such  rash  words  would  have 
rendered  him  liable  to  the  charge  of  inciting 
to  rebellion.  He  perforce  accepts  slavery — in  the 
meantime.  Instead  of  fomenting  wild  dreams  of 
immediate  emancipation,  he  seems  to  rivet  the 
fetters  of  the  poor  slaves.     As  an  apostle  he  com- 


Colossians  iii.  i8-iv.  i         77 

mands  them  to  obey  their  masters  in  all  things, 
working  as  faithfully  when  they  are  out  of 
sight  as  when  they  are  under  supervision,  and  he 
grounds  his  stern  injunction  on  the  fear  of  the 
Lord,  as  if  he  knew  that  Christ  Himself  would  be 
pleased  with  their  meek  submission.  Well  may  the 
Christian  slaves  heave  a  sigh  if  this  is  all  the 
comfort  that  the  new  religion  can  offer  them  in 
their  misery  !  But  let  them  look  at  the  other  side. 
If  they  work  heartily  for  the  Lord,  and  not  for 

men.  He  will  recompense  them,  a  thing  which  it 
rarely  enters  the  heart  of  an  earthly  master  to 
do.  He  will  give  them  an  inheritance,  though 
all  human  laws  declared  that  a  slave  can  never 
become  an  heir.  With  the  Lord  there  is  no 
respect  of  persons ;  slaves  are  in  His  eyes  as 
real  persons  as  their  masters,  and  not,  as  they 
have  been  told  so  often  that  they  have  almost 
come  to  believe  it,  mere  chattels,  living  tools, 
beasts  of  burden.  Their  masters  are  enjoined  to 
give  them  what  is  just  and  equal,  hence,  mirabile 
dictu  !  they  have  rights,  though  all  the  sages  have 
rejected  the  idea  with  scorn.     And,  finally,  their 

masters  have  also  a  Master  in  heaven,  and 

must  one  day  give  an  account  to  Him,  side  by  side 
with  the  lowest  of  their  menial  servants.  Here  are 
principles  of  spiritual  equality  which  from  the  first 
mitigated,  and  at  the  last  abolished,  that  terrible 
institution  of  slavery,  which  a  Roman  historian 
characterised  as  ^^the  sum  of  all  villanies."  And 
here  are  eternal  laws  of  truth  and  justice  which 
ought  still  to  enlighten  the  minds  and  quicken  the 
consciences  of  masters  and  servants,  employers  and 
employed,  in  lands  which  boast  that  they  have  seen 
the  end  of  the  long  night  of  slavery. 


78   Westminster  New  Testament 


Col.  iv.  2-6. 

PRAYER— BEHAVIOUR  AMONG  NON- 
CHRISTIANS. 

2  Continue  in  prayer,  and  watch  in  the  same  with  thanks 

3  giving  ;  withal  praying  also  for  us,  that  God  would  open 
unto  us  a  door  of  utterance,  to  speak  the  mystery  of  Christ, 

4  for  which  I  am  also  in  bonds  :  that  I  may  make  it  mani- 

5  fest,  as  I  ought  to  speak.     Walk  in  wisdom  toward  them 

6  that  are  without,  redeeming  the  time.  Let  your  speech 
be  alway  with  grace,  seasoned  with  salt,  that  ye  may 
know  how  ye  ought  to  answer  every  man. 

Paul  urges  the  Colossiaiis  to  be  steadfast  in 
prayer,  and  begs  them  to  give  himself  a  place  in 
their  petitions.  He  enjoins  them  to  be  wise  in 
their  intercourse  with  those  who  are  still  strangers 
to  Christ,  seizing  every  opportunity  of  winning 
them,  cultivating  the  gift  of  gracious  speech  that 
they  may  never  be  at  a  loss  how  to  answer  either 
bitter  cavillers  or  earnest  inquirers. 

2.  Continue  in  prayer.  The  R.V.  strengthens 
the  verb  '^  continue "  with  the  adverb  '^  sted- 
fastly."  ''Persevere  in  prayer"  gives  the  exact 
sense.  Whether  prayer  be  a  delight  or  an  agony, 
men  are  to  be  unwearied  in  it.  In  this  connection 
how  impressive  are  our  Lord's  precepts,  "Watch 
and  pray  "  ;  "  Men  ought  to  pray  always,  and  not 
to  faint."  His  own  supplications  were  attended 
with  "  strong  crying  and  tears,"  and  He  spent  long 
night-watches  in  them.  "  Cold  mountains  and  the 
midnight  air  witnessed  the  fervour  of  Thy  prayer." 
with  thanksgiving.  The  spirit  of  prayei;  is  of 
great  moment.  If  God  has  already  showered 
blessings  upon  us,  can  we  ask  Him  for  yet  more 


Colossians  iv.  2-6  79 

without  having  hearts  burning  with  gratitude  and 
lips  jubilant  with  praise  ? 

3.  praying  for  us  also.  For  Paul  and 
Timothy^  and  perhaps  other  associates.  '^  Orate 
jn'o  7iohis,  pray  for  us/'  is  the  constant  and  urgent 
request  of  all  true  ministers  of  Christ  (cf,  1  Thess. 
V.  25  ;  2  Thess.  iii.  1).  They  are  greedy  of  prayer  ; 
they  covet  it  as  the  truest  kindness  they  can 
receive  from  their  brethren  ;  they  know  that  '^  more 
things  are  wrought  by  prayer  than  this  world 
dreams  of."  may  Open  unto  us  a  door.  May 
remove  hindrances  and  grant  favourable  oppor- 
tunities. With  what  earnestness  do  statesmen 
labour  to  keep  an  open  door,  with  freedom  of 
intercourse,  for  a  nation's  commerce !  With  a  yet 
more  passionate  eagerness  did  the  apostle  and  his 
companions  desire  an  open  door  ("  a  great  door  and 
effectual,"  1  Cor.  xvi.  9)  for  the  word.  Even  if  it 
was  for  a  time  barred  and  bolted  in  their  faces,  they 
never  despaired ;  God  would,  in  answer  to  many 
prayers,  fling  it  open  unto  them.  As  soon  as  ever 
they  found  the  way  clear,  they  were  ready  to  enter 
in  and  tell  the  mystery  of  Christ.  This  is  one 
of  Paul's  favourite  words,  occurring  ten  times  in 
the  Prison  Epistles.  Writers  like  Matthew  Arnold 
have  made  earnest  attempts  to  fathom  the  secret  of 
Jesus,  the  Man  of  Nazareth,  but  they  have  missed  the 
secret  of  Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  All  the  power 
of  the  gospel  lies  in  the  presentment  to  the  human 
mind  of  a  Personality  in  which  God  and  man  meet. 

*'  Thou  seemest  human  and  Divine, 
The  highest,  holiest  manhood  Thou." 

4.  as  I  ought  to  speak.  The  preacher's 
manner  is  almost  as  important  as  his  matter.     Paul 


8o   Westminster  New  Testament 

desired  to  "speak  boldly/'  to  "speak  in  the  Spirit 
of  God/'  to  "speak  the  truth  in  love/'  to  "speak 
not  as  pleasing  men^  but  God  who  trieth  our 
hearts."     Richard  Baxter  wished  to  speak 

".  .  .  as  though  he  ne'er  might  speak  again, 
And  as  a  dying  man  to  dying  men." 

5.  them  that  are  without.  Beyond  the  pale ! 
The  Church's  true  spirit  is  discerned  in  its 
attitude  towards  this  numerous,  and  (especially  in 
our  own  time)  not  diminishing  class.  We  do  not 
say,  "  Extra  Ecclesiam  nulla  salus,  No  salvation 
outside  the  Church."  It  is  no  Church  question  at 
all.  It  is  a  question  of  one's  vital  relation  to  God. 
Paul  feels,  with  an  infinite  compassion,  that  to  be 
without  Christ  is  to  be  without  God  and  hope. 
"I  find/'  wrote  Dr.  Chalmers,  "that  without  a 
hold  of  Christ  there  is  no  hold  of  God  at  all."  It 
is  not  God's  will  that  any  should  be  in  the  outer 
darkness    of    doubt,     redeeming    the    time. 

"  Making  your  market  fully  from  the  occasion " 
(Ramsay) ;  eagerly  seizing,  and  cheerfully  paying 
the  price  for,  every  opportunity  of  serving  God  by 
persuading  those  who  are  without  to  come  within 
the  great  Divine  family  circle. 

6.  speech  .  .  .  with  grace  .  .  .  with  salt. 

Here  it  is  a  pity  to  limit  "grace"  either  to  the 
Greek  or  the  Hebrew  meaning  of  the  word.  The 
Christian's  speech  should  be  with  both  human 
grace  (courtesy,  affability,  sweet  reasonableness) 
and  Divine  grace  (God's  own  spirit  of  redeeming 
love).  And  his  speech  should  be  seasoned  with 
salt,  exciting,  stimulating,  pungent,  not  stale,  in- 
sipid, tasteless.  Attic  salt  was  Attic  wit.  Christians 
should  cultivate  the  gift  of  saline  speech,  else  they 


Colossians  iv.  7-18  81 

can  scarcely  be  the  salt  of  the  earth.  Those  who 
live  by  the  ocean  are  most  likely  to  be  impregnated 
with  ozone,  how  to  answer  every  one.  Not 
with  the  clever  intellectual  retort,  the  rapier  thrust 
■w^hich  transfixes  and  silences  the  caviller,  but  with 
the  convincing  power  of  simple  truth,  which  is 
often  most  unanswerable  when  most  naive 
(cf.  1  Pet.  iii.  15). 

Col.  iv.  7-18. 

PERSONAL  INFORMATION,  SALUTATIONS, 
AND  FAREWELL. 

7  All  my  state  shall  Tychicus  declare  unto  you,   who  is  a 
beloved  brother,  and  a  faithful  minister  and  fellowservant 

8  in  the  Lord  :  whom  I  have  sent  unto  you  for  the  same 
purpose,   that  he   might  know  your  estate,    and  comfort 

9  your    hearts ;    with    Onesimus,    a    faithful    and    beloved 
brother,  who  is  one  of  you.     They  shall  make  known  unto 

10  you  all  things  which  are  done  here.  Aristarchus  my 
fellowprisoner  saluteth  you,  and  Marcus,  sister's  son  to 
Barnabas,   (touching  whom  ye   received  commandments : 

11  if  he  come  unto  you,  receive  him;)  and  Jesus,  which  is 
called  Justus,  who  are  of  the  circumcision.  These  only 
are  my  fellowworkers   unto  the   kingdom  of  God,  which 

12  have  been  a  comfort  unto  me.  Epaphras,  who  is  one  of 
you,  a  servant  of  Christ,  saluteth  you,  always  labouring 
fervently  for  you  in  prayers,  that  ye  may  stand  perfect  and 

13  complete  in  all  the  will  of  God.  For  I  bear  him  record, 
that  he  hath  a  great  zeal  for   you,  and  them  that  are  in 

14  Laodicea,    and  them   in    Hierapolis.     Luke,   the  beloved 

15  physician,  and  Demas,  greet  you.  Salute  the  brethren 
which  are  in   Laodicea,   and   Nymphas,  and   the  church 

16  which  is  in  his  house.  And  when  this  epistle  is  read 
among  you,  cause  that  it  be  read  also  in  the  church  of  the 
Laodiceans ;   and  that  ye  likewise  read  the  epistle  from 

6 


82   Westminster  New  Testament 

17  Laodicea.     And    say   to   Archippus,    Take    heed   to   the 
ministry  which  thou  hast  received  in  the  Lord,  that  thou 

18  fulfil    it.     The    salutation     by    the    hand    of    me    Paul. 
Remember  my  bonds.     Grace  be  with  you.     Amen. 

Details  of  the  apostle's  life  in  Rome,  interesting 
to  all  who  love  him  for  his  work's  sake,  need  not 
be  committed  to  writing,  as  they  can  be  described 
to  the  Colossians  by  the  bearer  of  the  letter. 
Some  of  Paul's  comrades  in  Rome — three  Jews 
and  three  Gentiles — desire  to  transmit  their  greet- 
ings to  the  brethren  at  Colossee.  Then  the  apostle 
dictates  instructions  as  to  the  reading  of  this  and 
another  epistle,  sends  an  exhortation  to  a  leading 
Colossian  worker,  and  ends  the  letter  by  penning 
an  autograph  salutation,  a  tender  little  appeal 
for  sympathy,  and  a  benediction. 

7-9.  All  my  affairs  .  .  .  our  estate  ...  all 
things  that  are  done  here.  Paul  has  no  private 
life.  All  his  "  affairs  "  and  his  "  estate  "  are  bound 
up  with  the  progress  of  Christ's  kingdom  on  earth. 
He  belongs  to  the  Church.  He  has  no  reserves. 
He  wears  his  heart  on  his  sleeve.  He  thinks  it 
perfectly  natural  that  others  should  wish  to  knoM^ 
all  about  him.  He  is  not  afraid  of  personal  para- 
graphs. To  talk  of  his  affairs  will  not  be  foolish 
gossip,  it  will  be  profound  spiritual  conversation. 
Tychicus  .  .  .  Onesimus.  These  are  Christian 
comrades,  w^ho  are  expecting  to  pass  many  days  of 
happy  fellowship  in  the  long  journey  over  sea  and 
land  from  Rome  to  Colossae.  The  one  is  a  convert 
(probably)  of  Paul's  Ephesian  mission,  the  other 
(certainly)  of  his  Roman  captivity.  The  one  is  no 
longer  a  ^^  Casual  "  (as  ^^ Tychicus"  signifies),  but  a 

faithful  minister  and  fellow-servant  in  the 
Lord,  and  the  other  now  really  "  Profitable  "  (a  true 


Colossians  iv.  7-18  83 

"  Oiiesimus ")    as    a    faithful     and     beloved 
brother. 

10.  Aristarchus.  "A  Macedonian  of  Thes- 
salonica "  (Acts  xxvii.  9),  a  Jew  with  a  Gentile 
name,  probably  one  of  Paul's  earliest  European 
converts.  Mark  .  .  .  receive  him.  "Welcome 
him."  Paul  could  not  have  written  so  warmly 
of  Mark  some  twelve  years  before^  when  the  two 
men  were  companions  for  the  first  time.  For 
after  doing  some  good  missionary  work,  the 
cousin  of  Barnabas  became  faint-hearted  and 
went  home  to  his  mother.  But  that  was  not  the  last 
of  him.  He  put  his  hand  to  the  plough,  and  looked 
back,  and  yet  he  did  not  lose  the  kingdom.  The 
Lord  gave  him  time  to  atone  for  the  sin  of  his 
youth,  and  so  disciplined  him  that  he  became  morally 
strong  and  brave,  lived  down  his  past,  effaced  all 
distrust  from  the  apostle's  mind,  and  was  ulti- 
mately recalled  to  be  his  companion  and  share  the 
last  dangers  of  his  Roman  captivity  (cf.  2  Tim.  iv.  11). 

11.  Jesus.  It  is  strange  to  remember  that 
many  an  obscure  man  once  bore  this  name,  which 
is  now  too  sacred  to  give  to  any  child.  It  is  the 
Greek  form  of  Joshua.  With  the  double  name 
"Jesus  Justus"  compare  "John  Marcus,"  "Saul 
Paulus,"  Jews  of  the  Empire  often  having  both  a 
Jewish  and  a  Roman  name.  These  only,  of  all 
the  Jewish  Christians,  were  brave  enough  to  co- 
operate with  the  apostle  and  to  be  a  COmfort  to 
him  in  Rome.     See  Phil.  ii.  20. 

12.  Epaphras.  Paul  at  length  comes  to  the 
name  that  is  most  familiar  to  all,  and  most  dear 
to  many  of,  the  Colossian  Christians,  that  of  their 
spiritual  father,  their  greatly  perplexed  pastor, 
who  has  gone  to  Rome  to  consult  his  chief  about 


84   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  dangers  which  threaten  the  churches  of  the 
Lycus  valley.  The  just  and  chivalrous  words 
which  Paul  here  writes  regarding  this  servant 
of  Christ  Jesus  are  a  faithful  minister's  reward. 
They  bring  before  us  a  true  Pastor,  striving  in 
all  his  prayers  for  his  people,  his  one  supreme  and 
absorbing  desire  in  life  being  to  see  them  stand 
perfect  and  full-assured  in  all  the  will  of 

God,  their  minds  in  complete  harmony  with  the 
Mind  whose  gospel  is  the  music  of  the  world. 
Here  Paul  seems  to  quote  Epaphras'  very  words, 
having  been  impressed  by  them  as  they  knelt  often 
in  prayer  together  in  the  Roman  prison. 

14.  Luke,  the  beloved  physician,  was  the 
writer  of  the  Third  Gospel  and  the  Acts.  He 
was  with  Paul  in  many  of  his  travels,  a  fact  which 
he  indicates  in  his  narrative  by  the  use  of  the 
pronoun  ^'^we."  Paul  loved  him  as  a  friend, 
and,  being  no  Christian  scientist,  relied  on  his 
professional  skill  in  days  of  sickness  and  suffering. 
and  Demas.  This  is  all  that  is  here  said  about 
him.  When  the  apostle's  other  comrades  are  all  so 
honourably  mentioned,  and  make  their  exit  bearing 
their  blushing  honours  thick  upon  them,  is  it  right 
that  he  should  be  dismissed  without  one  word  of 
praise  ?  There  are  moments  when,  to  a  sensitive 
spirit,  a  mere  name  is  a  name  dishonoured.  But 
Paul  was  no  doubt  just.  Perhaps  he  already  guessed 
that  the  honour  which  Demas  loved  was  of  another 
kind  than  a  passing  allusion  in  an  apostolic  letter. 
At  any  rate  the  curt  reference  is  ominous,  and 
ere  long  the  true  spirit  of  Demas  will  be  revealed 
(see  2  Tim.  iv.  10). 

15.  Laodicea.  Ten  miles  down  the  valley 
from  Colossae,  a  city  "  rich  and  increased  in  goods  " 


Colossians  iv.  7-18  85 

(Rev.  iii.  17).  Hierapolis,  or  Sacred  City,  six 
miles  north  of  Laodicea,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
valley.  The  three  cities  were  Epaphras'  diocese. 
He  could  preach  at  Colossae  on  a  Sunday  morning, 
ride  down  to  Laodicea  for  the  afternoon,  and  over 
to  Hierapolis  in  the  evening.  Nymphas.  Some 
MSS  read  "  Nympha  "  and  "  her  house,"  but  the 
masculine  has  the  greater  support.  Nymphas 
was  evidently  a  wealthy  convert  of  Laodicea,  the 
owner  of  a  large  house,  which  he  threw  open  for 
divine  service.  Thus  there  was  a  church  in  his 
housC)  church  meaning  not  the  room,  but  the 
people  who  filled  it.  The  only  consecration  which 
the  aula  (atrium)  needed  was  the  prayers  and 
praises  of  God's  people.  "  Where'er  they  seek  Thee 
Thou  art  found,  and  every  place  is  holy  ground." 
For  "his  house"  we  should  probably  read  their 
house.  Having  mentioned  Nymphas,  Paul  at 
once  thinks  of  the  members  of  his  family,  and  so 
glides  into  the  plural  relative. 

16.  the  letter  from  Laodicea.  Evidently  a 
letter  written  by  Paul  to  Laodicea.  Reasons  for 
believing  that  this  was  "the  epistle  to  the 
Ephesians  "  are  given  in  the  Introduction  (p.  14). 

17.  Archippus,  called  by  Paul  his  "fellow- 
soldier"  (Philem.  2),  was  probably  the  son  of 
Philemon.  He  is  enjoined  to  fulfil  his  ministry. 
It  is  most  likely  that  he  was  taking  care  of  the 
Colossian  Church  while  Epaphras  was  visiting 
Rome.  He  had  no  easy  post.  He  had  daily  to 
deal  with  clever  Gnostics  and  dreamy  Theosophists. 
He  had  to  pilot  his  ship  among  many  rocks  and 
quicksands.'  He  needed  to  "fulfil"  his  ministry  in 
the  old  sense  of  the  word,  to  fill  it  to  the  full  with 
words  of  wisdom  and  deeds  of  love. 


86   Westminster  New  Testament 

18.  my   own    hand.     See    2    Thess.    iii.    17. 
Remember  my  bonds.   As  Paul  lifts  his  hand 

to  write  his  salutation,  his  chain  rattles,  and  he 
asks  the  Colossians  to  remember  his  bonds.  The 
quiet  simplicity  of  the  appeal,  which  he  might 
have  couched  in  tragic  language,  and  its  place 
just  before  the  peaceful  benediction,  make  it  all 
the  more  heart-moving.  Grace  be  with  yOU. 
This  is  the  shortest  formula  of  blessing ;  the 
longest  is  found  in  2  Cor.  xiii.  14.  In  the  Christian 
Church  the  apostolic  benediction  takes  the  place  of 
the  beautiful  Aaronic  blessing.  Num.  vi.  24. 


Philem.  1-3. 

GREETING. 

Paul,  a  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  Timothy  our  brother, 
unto   Philemon   our   dearly   beloved,    and   fellowlabourer, 

2  and  to  our  beloved  Apphia,  and  Archippus  our  fellowsoldier, 

3  and  to  the  church  in  thy  house  :  Grace  to  you,  and  peace, 
from  God  our  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

This  letter  is  written  by  the  apostle  to  a  Chris- 
tian brother  in  Colossae,  with  (probably)  his  wife 
and  son,  and  the  community  of  believers  who  are 
in  the  habit  of  meeting  for  worship  in  his  house. 

1.  Paul,  a  prisoner.  The  soft  pathos  of  the 
opening  words  at  once  arrests  our  attention, 
"  Paul  an  apostle  "  writes  most  of  the  letters,  and 
sometimes  he  finds  it  necessary  to  be  masterful, 
but  "Paul  a  prisoner"  writes  this  one,  and  he  is  a 
suppliant.  He  has  no  foes  to  confront,  no  heretics 
to  refute,  no  backsliders  to  correct,  no  sleepers  to 
awaken  ;  he  has  only  a  humble  petition  to  send  to 
a  dear  and  true  friend.  Happily  in  his  captivity  he 
is  not  denied  the  use  of  paper  and  ink.  "  Few  know 
the  heart  of  a  prisoner,"  sighed  Rutherford  ;  "  my 
silence  is  my  greatest  prison."  But  by  putting  a 
pen  into  the  hand  of  such  prisoners  Christ  let  them 
break  their  silence  and  speak  in  words  which  endure 
for  ever,  a  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ.  Paul  gets 
beyond  all  second  causes  to  the  first.  It  was  no 
irony  of  fate,  no  cruel  combination  of  circumstances, 
87 


88   Westminster  New  Testament 

neither  Jewish  malice  nor  Roman  policy,  but  the 
will  of  his  Master,  that  brought  him  to  a  Roman 
prison,  and  Timothy.  He  is  intimately  acquainted 
with  Philemon's  household,  so  that  his  name  will 
strengthen  the  appeal  which  Paul  is  about  to  make. 
Philemon  our  beloved  and  fellow-worker. 
*^^  Beloved"  sometimes  expresses  the  love  of  God 
for  His  Son,  or  for  His  Church,  and  often,  as 
here,  the  love  of  a  Christian  for  his  brother.  The 
classical  words  for  "love,"  with  their  sensuous 
associations,  could  not  give  adequate  expression  to 
a  love  so  spiritual,  and  the  word  happily  selected 
for  the  purpose  {agape)  is  one  of  the  master-terms 
of  Christianity.  Philemon  was  Paul's  fellow- 
WOrker  first,  probably,  during  the  long  and  fruitful 
mission  in  Ephesus,  and  then  in  Colossae,  though  the 
apostle  had  never  seen  the  latter  city. 

2.  our  beloved  Apphia.  "  Apphia  our  sister " 
has  much  stronger  MS.  authority.  This  Christian 
lady  was  no  doubt  Philemon's  wife,  to  whom  Paul 
naturally  appealed  on  behalf  of  Onesimus,  for  it 
rested  on  her  as  much  as  on  her  husband  to  give 
the  penitent  man  a  kind  welcome  home,  to  for- 
get his  guilty  past,  and  to  cheer  him  to  face 
the  future  with  a  new  hope.  Archippus  was 
probably  their  son,  and  it  was  essential  that  his 
warm  sympathy  should  also  be  enlisted  on  behalf 
of  the  returning  wanderer.  Besides,  we  learn  in 
Col.  iv.  17  that  Archippus  had  a  ministry  to  fulfil, 
and  it  would  probably  fall  to  him  to  receive 
Onesimus  into  the  fellowship  of  the  believers  who 
met  as  a  church  in  his  father's  house.  Paul  honours 
him  with  the  title  of  fellowsoldier,  which  will 
suggest  to  him  the  inspiring  thought  that  they  are 
both  following  the  same  Leader,  wearing  the  same 


Philemon  4-7  89 

armour,  displaying  the  same  banner,  fighting  the 
same  battles,  seeking  the  same  glory.  Paul's  im- 
prisonment in  Rome  and  daily  contact  with  the 
finest  soldiers  in  the  world  gave  him  vivid  and 
glowing  ideas  of  gospel  compaigning. 

3.  Grace  .  .  .  peace  (cf.  Col.  i.  2).  Here 
the  name  of  the  Son  is  linked  with  that  of 
the  Father,  as  in  Phil.  i.  2,  and  nothing  could 
more  clearly  indicate  the  unique  greatness  of 
Christ. 

Philem.  4-7. 
THANKSGIVING  AND  PRAYER. 

4  I  thank  my  God,  making  mention  of  thee  always  in  my 

5  prayers,  hearing  of  thy  love  and   faith,  which  thou  hast 

6  toward  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  toward  all  saints ;  that  the 
communication  of  thy  faith  may  become  effectual  by  the 
acknowledging  of  every  good  thing  which  is  in  you  in  Christ 

7  Jesus.  For  we  have  great  joy  and  consolation  in  thy  love, 
because  the  bowels  of  the  saints  are  refreshed  by  thee, 
brother. 

Paul  is  writing  to  a  brother  for  whose  faith  and 
love  he  has  often  ere  now  had  occasion  to  thank 
God,  for  whose  growth  in  spiritual  knowledge  he 
has  often  prayed,  and  of  whose  kindness  to  the 
saints  it  has  been  a  joy  and  comfort  to  hear. 

4.  I  thank  my  God.  A  frequent  and  fervent 
Pauline  utterance  (see  Rom.  i.  8  ;  1  Cor.  i.  4  ;  Phik 
i.  3).  Every  epistle  except  Galatians  has  a  thanks- 
giving after  the  opening  greeting.  '^  My  God  "  is 
more  warm  and  intense  than  "God"  or  "our 
God."  Luther  was  right  when  he  said  that  all 
the  comfort  of  the  gospel  lies  in  the  personal 
pronouns.     "  My  God  "  implies  an  act  of  glad  appro- 


9b   Westminster  New  Testament 

priation,  once  made  and  a  thousand  times  repeated. 
There  is  a  world  of  difference  between  the  cold, 
distant  recognition  of  "  the  Deity  "  and  the  ecstatic 
heart-devotion  expressed  in  the  words,  "I  will  praise 
Thee,  O  God,  my  God."  making  mention  of 
thee.  Another  familiar  Pauline  phrase.  The 
apostle's  numerous  friendships  made  him  a  man  of 
many  prayers.  His  intense  sympathy  had  to  find 
an  outlet  in  fervent  intercession.  Philemon  was 
only  one  of  a  multitude,  most  of  them  far  away, 
whom  he  bore  in  spirit  to  the  throne  of  grace. 

5.  hearing  of  thy  love.  Philemon's  love 
would  be  eulogised  to  Paul  by  Epaphras,  his 
minister,  and  even  by  Onesimus,  his  runaway 
slave.  Philemon's  beautiful  name  means  "  Lover," 
and  he  is  well  worthy  of  it.  Those  who  knew  him 
best  always  spoke  first  of  his  love,  without  for- 
getting, however,  to  link  it  (as  here)  to  his  faith. 
Evidently  a  rich  man,  he  filled  his  days  with 
thoughts  of  hospitality  and  deeds  of  kindness. 
Nothing  pleased  him  more  than  a  request  to  make 
ready  a  lodging — a  prophet's  chamber — for  some 
weary  Christian  worker  (ver.  22).  On  his  tombstone 
might  have  been  inscribed  at  last  the  words,  "  He 
refreshed  many  saints  "  (ver.  7).  faith  toward  the 
Lord  Jesus.  The  rush  of  the  apostle's  thoughts 
upsets  the  logical  order  of  the  sentence,  so  that  he 
seems  to  be  commending  Philemon  for  '^  faith 
toward  all  the  saints."  But  clearly  what  he  means 
is  love  toward  all  the  saints  and  faith  toward  the 
Lord  Jesus.  "  Faith  toward  the  Lord  "  is  a  rare  but 
suggestive  phrase  (cf.  1  Thess.  i.  8).  There  is  a 
difference  between  faith  in  and  faith  toward 
God.  The  one  is  faith  resting,  the  other  faith 
aspiring.     Believers   calmly  repose  in,   or   on,  the 


Philemon  4-7  91 

Saviour  possessed,  and  yet  they  wistfully  look  and 
eagerly  press  toward  the  Saviour  not  yet  fully 
possessed.  The  Christ  whom  they  have  found 
makes  them  passionately  long  for  "  the  Christ  that 
is  to  be." 

6.  that  the  communication  of  thy  faith. 
Better,  the  communicativeness,  the  fellowship  of 
thy  faith.  Paul  refers  to  Philemon's  acts  of  kind- 
ness, his  deeds  of  lavish  generosity,  prompted  by 
faith.  He  always  thinks  of  faith  as  an  active  moral 
principle.  It  proves  its  reality  by  its  sympathy. 
It  thrives  by  sending  out  feelers  in  all  directions, 
by  insinuating  itself  into  the  lives  of  others,  by  find- 
ing in  every  man  a  brother  to  succour  and  save.  It 
has  "a  fellowship  of  hearts  to  keep  and  cultivate." 
effectual  in  knowledge.  Full  spiritual  know- 
ledge ;  a  favourite  word  in  these  Prison  Epistles 
(see  Col.  i.  9).  The  logical  order  of  ideas  is  here 
to  be  carefully  noted.  Faith  manifests  and  verifies 
itself  by  a  fellowship  of  love,  which  in  turn  becomes 
effectual  (has  its  result  and  reward)  in  a  full 
knowledge,  deep,  vital,  experimental,  of  every 
good  thing"  (every  spiritual  blessing)  which  is 
ours  or  in  US,  wrought  into  the  fabric  of  our 
renewed  nature.  Truth  reveals  her  face,  not  to 
those  who  burn  the  midnight  oil,  but  to  those  who 
daily  love  their  brothers.  Philemon  was  probably 
no  scholar,  but  he  believed,  he  loved,  he  knew, 
unto  Christ.  For  His  glory,  which  is  to  be  sought 
in  all  our  moral  and  spiritual  strivings  and  attain- 
ments. 

7.  I  had  much  joy  ...  in  thy  love.  A 
spiritual  happiness  intensified  in  the  gloom  of  a 
prison-house.  How  often  Paul  makes  it  clear  that 
the  chief  pleasure  of  his  life,  next  to  his  joy  in  the 


92   Westminster  New  Testament 

Lord,  springs  from  his  knowledge  of  the  noble  con- 
duct, the  beautiful  morale,  of  his  Christian  converts 
and  friends!  They  are  now  his  ^'joy"  and  his 
'^  crown,"  and  they  prepare  for  him  a  perpetual 
delight  and  reward.  To  hear  of  Philemon's  love  to 
complete  strangers  far  away  is  enough  to  thrill  his 
heart  and  light  up  his  countenance  with  a  pure 
spiritual  gladness.  At  such  moments  Christ's  own 
joy  is  in  him,  and  his  joy  is  full,  refreshed  by 
thee.  Better,  "through  thee."  How  suggestive 
the  phrase  is !  All  Philemon's  kind  deeds  were 
rather  done  through  him  than  by  him.  He  was 
not  only  acting  in  the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  he  was  the 
human  medium  of  Christ's  own  Divine  compassion. 

"Let  it  be  no  more  my  working, 

Nor  my  wisdom,  love,  and  power, 
But  the  grace  of  Jesus  only. 

Passing  through  me  hour  by  hour." 

brother.  The  tender,  caressing  word  is  kept 
till  the  close  of  the  sentence.  It  has  the  natural 
emphasis  of  a  last  word,  on  which  the  voice  dies 
away.  Brotherhood  was  still  too  new  a  thing  in 
the  world  to  have  had  time  to  be  soiled  with 
all  ignoble  use.  It  was  the  beautiful  creation  of 
Christ ;  it  was  His  own  Spirit  of  brotherly  love 
breathed  into  each  of  His  followers. 


Philem.  8-21. 
PAUL  PLEADING  FOR  ONESIMUS. 

8  Wherefore,  though  I  might  be  much  bold  in  Christ  to  en- 

9  join  thee  that  which  is  convenient,  yet  for  love's   sake   I 
rather  beseech  thee,  being  such  an  one  as  Paul  the  aged, 

ID  and  now  also  a  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ.     I  beseech  thee 


Philemon  8-21  93 

for  my  son  Onesimus,  whom  I  have  begotten  in  my  bonds  : 

11  which   in   time  past  was    to   thee  unprofitable,   but  now 

12  profitable  to  thee  and  to  me  :  whom  I  have  sent  again  : 
thou  therefore  receive   him,   that  is,   mine  own   bowels  : 

13  whom  I  would  have  retained  with  me,  that  in  thy  stead 
he  might   have  ministered   unto  me  in   the  bonds  of  the 

14  gospel  :  but  without  thy  mind  would  I  do  nothing ;  that 
thy  benefit   should  not   be  as   it  were  of  necessity,   but 

15  willingly.     For  perhaps  he  therefore  departed  for  a  season, 

16  that  thou  shouldest  receive  him  for  ever ;  not  now  as  a 
servant,  but  above  a  servant,  a  brother  beloved,  specially 
to  me,  but  how  much  more  unto  thee,  both  in  the  flesh, 

17  and  in  the  Lord?     If  thou  count  me  therefore  a  partner, 

18  receive   him   as   myself.       If  he   hath   wronged   thee,    or 

19  oweth  thee  ought,  put  that  on  mine  account ;  I  Paul  have 
written  it  with  mine  own  hand,  I  will  repay  it :  albeit  I 
do  not  say  to  thee  how  thou  owest  unto  me  even  thine 

20  own  self  besides.     Yea,  brother,  let  me  have  joy  of  thee 

21  in  the  Lord:  refresh  my  bowels  in  the  Lord.  Having 
confidence  in  thy  obedience  I  wrote  unto  thee,  knowing 
that  thou  wilt  also  do  more  than  I  say. 

Paul  waives  his  apostolic  authority  and  humbly 
begs  a  favour.  He  has  a  difficult  personal  moral 
problem  to  solve^  and  not  without  reluctance 
accepts  the  only  possible  solution.  His  heart 
argues  with  his  conscience^  and  loses.  ''  Onesimus 
the  Christian  belongs  to  you/'  says  the  one  voice  ; 
^'  all  that  is  best  in  him  he  owes  to  you.  He  loves 
and  adores  you  as  your  spiritual  child.  Your  prison 
will  be  a  heaven  to  him.  Gratitude  makes  him 
eager  to  live  for  you,  and  if  need  be  die  with  you.  He 
will  a  hundred  times  rather  remain  with  you  than 
return  to  his  old  life.  Be  kind  to  him  and  let  him 
have  his  wish.  You  cannot  disappoint  him."  But 
the  other  voice  makes  answer :  ^^No,  he  belongs  to 


94   Westminster  New  Testament 

Philemon.  He  has  done  a  wrong  and  must  confess 
it.  It  is  his  duty  to  return  and  make  restitution. 
He  cannot  be  right  with  God  until  he  has  done 
everything  in  his  power  to  put  himself  right  with 
man."  So  Paul  resolves  to  send  Onesimus  home 
to  his  master ;  but  he  confidently  bespeaks  for 
him  no  pagan  reception^  which  might  mean  torture 
or  death,  but  a  warm,  loving,  Christian  welcome, 
not  unlike  that  which  the  prodigal  son  received 
when  he  came  back  from  the  far  country  to  his 
father's  house. 

8.  all  boldness  in  Christ.  Paul  admired  bold- 
ness, and  asked  others  to  pray  that  he  might 
display  it  (Eph.  vi.  20).  Luke  noted  his  posses- 
sion of  it  (Acts  ix.  29).  He  hoped  that  to  the 
very  end  he  would  retain  it  (Phil.  i.  20).  But 
there  were  times  when  his  instincts  prompted  him 
to  be  gentle  and  persuasive  rather  than  bold  and 
authoritative.  To  a  brother  like  Philemon  it  was 
far  better  to  say,  "  I  beseech  you,"  than  "  I 
enjoin  you."  that  which  is  convenient.  The 
word  "  convenient "  has  lost  much  of  its  meaning. 
What  is  convenient  for  a  person  means  now  no 
more  than  what  does  not  give  him  any  trouble. 
Formerly  it  meant  what  was  in  harmony  with  his 
highest  principles,  what  was  worthy  of  his  religious 
profession.  This  was  what  Philemon  had  to  con- 
sider— what  was  befitting"  for  him  as  a  Christian, 
what  his  Lord  would  expect  of  him. 

9.  for  love's  sake.  This  may  mean  either 
for  the  sake  of  the  love  between  Paul  and 
Philemon,  or  for  the  sake  of  love  in  general  as 
the  Christian  ideal.  Either  sense  is  excellent. 
The  spirit  of  love  might  suffer  if  Paul  were  to 
enjoin  instead  of  entreating,  for  love  is  the  most 


Philemon  8-21  95 

sensitive  as  well  as  the  greatest  thing  in  the  world. 
It  presupposes  a  spiritual  equality  between  those 
who  love,  and  it  is  pleased  when  its  rights  are 
scrupulously  regarded.  Paul  the  aged.  This 
is  probably  the  apostle's  real  meaning,  though 
Lightfoot  contends  that  we  should  read  '^  Paul 
the  ambassador"  (so  the  margin  of  R.V.  ;  cf. 
Eph.  vi.  20  ;  2  Cor.  v.  20).  The  simple,  pathetic 
word  ^"^old  man"  suits  the  language  of  entreaty 
far  better  than  a  formal,  official  title.  How  old 
Paul  was  at  this  time  we  cannot  tell,  and  the  point 
is  not  very  important.  He  was  "  a  young  man  " 
at  the  time  of  Stephen's  death  (Acts  vii.  58),  and 
perhaps  he  was  still  nearer  fifty  than  sixty.  Yet 
he  might  already  look  on  himself  as  an  old  man, 
worn  in  the  service  of  Christ.  Walter  Scott  called 
himself  "  an  old  grey  man  "  when  he  was  fifty-five. 
Happily  there  is  a  sense  in  which  such  men  never 
grow  old  (Ps.  xcii.  14). 

10.  my  son  .  .  .  Onesimus.  Better,  "my 
child."  Paul  lingers  long  (as  the  R.V.  shows)  before 
he  utters  the  name — so  sweet  to  him,  but  for  the 
time,  as  he  well  knew,  so  unpleasant  to  Philemon 
— leading  up  to  it  with  language  of  caressing 
tenderness,  such  as  a  mother  might  use  of  her 
new-born  babe.  He  writes  of  his  prison-child, 
born  again  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  Onesimus.  One 
can  imagine  how  Philemon  opened  his  eyes  as  he 
read  the  words,  how  he  flung  down  the  roll  in 
impatience,  and  then  how  the  sudden  flush  of  hot 
anger  softened  into  an  expression  of  wonder  and 
pity  and  joy.  The  incredible  had  happened.  The 
hardened  sinner  had  come  home  with  the  spirit  of 
a  little  child. 

11.  unprofitable  .  .  .  profitable.  Paul  smiles 


96   Westminster  New  Testament 

as  he  dictates  this  sentence.  He  gently  plays 
with  his  convert's  name,  writing  what  he  has 
doubtless  often  said.  "  Onesimus  "  means  '■  Help- 
ful." It  was  a  name  given  to  many  Greek  slaves, 
and  one  which  they  were  naturally  proud  to  bear. 
But  this  slave  has  belied  his  name.  He  has  been 
a  good-for-nothing.  He  has  defrauded  his  master 
and  absconded.  But  now  he  has  undergone  the 
great  spiritual  change  which  never  fails  to  bring 
with  it  a  moral  transfonnation,  and  Paul  is  sure 
that  he  will  henceforth  live  up  to  his  name.  He 
will  be  a  real  "  Helpful "  both  to  Paul  and  to 
Philemon. 

12.  I  have  sent  back  to  thee.   Not  without 

sorrow,  but  with  a  clear  sense  of  duty,  Paul  directs 
the  fugitive  to  return.  One  wonders  if  he  would 
do  the  same  even  if  Philemon  were  a  pagan 
master.  Probably  he  would,  though  his  command 
would  be  ten  times  more  difficult  to  obey.  He 
would  not  break  the  laws  of  Rome  by  keeping 
another  man's  property.  The  time  was  still  far 
distant  when  a  nation  would  proudly  say  of  fugitive 
slaves,  '^  They  touch  our  country,  and  their  shackles 
fall."  The  conscience  of  mankind  had  first  to  be 
educated  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  in  his  OWn 
person,  that  is,  my  very  heart.  So  the  R.V. 
The  latter  is  a  wonderfully  tender  expression.  As 
a  lover  calls  his  beloved  his  sweetheart,  so  Paul 
calls  the  slave  whom  he  has  learned  to  love,  his 
*^own  heart."  Onesimus  was  doubtless  in  eveiy 
way  worthy  of  his  affection.  It  is  quite  possible 
that  he  was  a  man  of  some  culture,  like  many 
other  slaves  of  the  Empire.  The  higher  their 
education  the  greater  their  value  to  their  masters. 

13.  I  would  have  retained.    "I  would  fain 


Philemon  8-21  97 

have  kept"  (R.V.).  That  "fain"  is  a  very  happy 
stroke  of  translation.  It  brings  out  all  the  wistful- 
ness  of  the  great  apostle,  so  hungering  for  human 
sympathy,  while  yet  so  resolute  to  let  no  soft 
sentiment  relax  his  stern  sense  of  duty,  that  on 
thy  behalf  he  might  minister  unto  me.  This 
is  another  exquisite  touch.  Such  words  of  loving 
insight,  so  much  higher  than  clever  tact,  would  go 
straight  to  Philemon's  heart,  making  him  say, 
"  Would  that  he  had  kept  him  to  minister  for  me ! 
I  would  gladly  give  Paul  ten  Onesimuses,  if  I  had 
them,  to  pay  him  a  little  of  my  own  infinite  debt." 
the  bonds  of  the  gospel.  Compare  "  my  bonds 
in  Christ"  (Phil.  i.  13),  and  "a  prisoner  of  Christ 
Jesus"  (vers.  1,  9)-  How  calmly  the  hard  fact 
is  accepted  !  There  is  no  shrill  shouting  against 
injustice.  Imprisonment  is  accepted  as  an  honour. 
The  apostle's  phrase  became  a  technical  expression 
for  a  common  experience  which  was  as  cheerfully 
welcomed  as  one's  daily  bread,  because  it  was  the 
Master's  will.  Under  the  words  there  breathes 
the  heroic  spirit  which  made  three  centuries  of 
confessors  and  martyrs. 

14.  without  thy  mind.  The  decision  lay  with 
the  master  who  was  nearly  a  thousand  miles  away. 
A  month  must  elapse  before  Philemon  could  hear 
and  speak.  Paul  had  a  scrupulously  fine  sense  of 
honour.  It  was  no  unctuous  rectitude,  but  the 
instinctive  equity  of  a  Roman  citizen  as  well  as  of 
a  Christian  gentleman  that  impelled  him  to  render 
to  every  man  his  due.  not  as  of  necessity,  but 
willingly.  Paul's  retention  of  Onesimus,  viewed 
in  however  favourable  a  light,  would  have  been  an 
unwarranted  liberty.  Philemon's  service  would 
have  lost  all  its  grace  by  losing  its  spontaneity. 

7 


98   Westminster  New  Testament 

15.  For  perhaps.  "Perhaps"  indicates  a 
measure  of  uncertainty.  Paul  will  not  rashly 
dogmatise  when  he  only  knows  "  in  part."  He 
suggests  what  seems  to  him  likely,  and  no  more. 
He  shrinks  from  a  "  verily."  he  waS  parted 
from  thee.  The  realistic  truth  was  that 
Onesimus  ran  away  in  disgrace ;  the  idealistic, 
that  God  parted  him  for  a  season  from  his  master. 
There  is  an  alchemy  that  extracts  from  the  dross 
of  human  transgression  the  fine  gold  of  Divine 
providence.  Compare  Joseph's  account  of  his  own 
kidnapping  (Gen.  xlv.  5),  and  Peter's  wonderful 
version  of  the  death  of  Christ  in  Acts  ii.  23.  for 
a  season  .  .  .  for  ever.  God's  temporal  separa- 
tions end  in  everlasting  spiritual  reunions.  The 
pain  of  estrangement  is  forgotten  in  the  rapture 
of  meeting  to  part  no  more.  "This  my  slave," 
Philemon  would  say,  "  was  dead  and  is  alive  again, 
and  was  lost  and  is  found." 

i6.  no  longer  as  a  slave,  but  .  .  .  a  brother 
beloved.  This  is  the  miracle  of  the  gospel.  The 
Spirit  of  Jesus  makes  Philemon  and  Onesimus, 
taskmaster  and  slave,  brothers  not  only  in  name 
but  in  truth.  Not  that  Onesimus  necessarily  ceases 
to  be  a  slave  in  law.  Paul  does  not  plead  for  his 
liberation.  He  comes  within  a  step  of  doing  so, 
but  he  never  takes  it.  Yet  Onesimus'  position 
will  be  completely  changed.  His  master  will 
daily  meet  him,  and  greet  him,  and  treat  him  as 
a  brother.  And  thus  the  very  principle  of  bond- 
service— that  some  men  may  be  regarded  as  goods 
and  chattels  —  is  undermined,  and  manumission 
becomes  merely  a  matter  of  time.  Slavery  will 
die  a  natural  death,  specially  .  .  .  how  much 
rather.    Literally,  "most  of  all  to  me,  and  how 


Philemon  8-21  99 

much  more  to  thee."  A  fine  example  of  logical 
inexactitude^  indicative  of  great  warmth  of  feeling. 
Paul's  regard  for  Onesimus  will  be  superlative^ 
Philemon's  more  than  superlative !  Excellence  is 
beggared  by  super-excellence  !  both  in  the  flesh 
and  in  the  Lord.  Philemon  and  Onesimus  will 
be  brothers  both  in  the  world  and  in  the  Church. 
Brothers  at  the  Communion  Table  will  not  be 
strangers  in  the  market. 

17.  me  a  partner.  In  the  great  business  of 
winning  souls  for  the  kingdom  of  God.  Less 
technically^  a  comrade,  an  intimate  friend. 
receive  him  as  myself.  Paul  has  already  called 
Onesimus  his  child  (ver.  10),  his  heart  (ver.  12),  his 
brother  (ver.  l6).  Now  he  speaks  of  him  as  his 
other  self.  Perfect  love  is  the  fusing  of  two  souls 
in  one.  The  request  of  the  letter  is  that  Onesimus 
the  Christian  may  receive  as  cordial  a  welcome 
as  would  be  accorded  to  Paul  the  Apostle  (cf. 
Matt.  x.  40). 

18.  if  he  hath  wronged  thee  at  all,  or  oweth 
thee  aught  (R.V.).  This  was  no  doubt  the 
truth,  but  the  hypothetical  "if"  and  the  qualifying 
"at  all"  and  "aught"  soften  as  far  as  possible 
the  reference  to  a  crime  which  has  been  sincerely 
repented  of.  Plain,  direct,  severe  censure  is  for 
the  hardened  conscience,  gentle  language  for  the 
contrite  heart.  put  that  tO  my  aCCOUnt. 
Charge  it  to  me  as  Onesimus'  friend,  his  other  self, 
his  double,  who  love  him  so  much  that  I  cheerfully 
make  all  his  obligations  my  own. 

19.  I  Paul  write  it.  In  general  he  wrote  only 
the  salutation  with  his  own  hand,  as  the  credential 
in  every  epistle  (2  Thess.  iii.  17).  But  here  he 
takes  the  pen  in  his    hand    for   another  purpose. 


lOO 


Westminster  New  Testament 


He  gives  Philemon  an  autograph  promissory  note, 
a  sort  of  I.O.U.,  and  signs  his  name  "  Paul." 
He  writes  his  bond  in  set,  formal,  lawyer-like 
terms,  as  one  who  means  business.  But  he  does 
it  half  playfully,  for  if  he  knows  Philemon  at 
all,  he  is  sure  that  so  true  a  Christian  gentleman 
will  never  demand  the  fulfilment  of  the  bond,  but 
will  freely  and  heartily  forgive  a  brother's  trespasses, 
as  his  own  have  been  forgiven,  thou  Owest  tO 
me  thine  own  self.  Thus  quietly  is  Philemon's 
great  secret  told.  He  as  well  as  Onesimus  is 
Paul's  convert.  He  found  his  true  self  when  he 
found  Christ,  and  he  did  both  through  the 
apostle's  influence.  To  a  spiritual  father  a  spiritual 
child — such  as  Philemon  became  when  his  hairs 
were  grey  —  instinctively  feels  himself  under 
supreme  obligations.  Paul  knows  how  gladly  his 
friend  will  do  something  to  liquidate  his  debt. 

20.  let  me  have  joy  .  .  .  refresh  my  heart. 
In  the  Greek  both  the  "me"  and  the  "my"  are 
emphatic.  One  can  hear  the  circumflex  accent  in 
the  apostle's  voice.  Others  have  happy  memories 
of  good  Philemon's  love.  He  has  been  a  brother 
to  many.  He  has  gladdened  them  and  refreshed 
them.  Now  it  is  Paul's  turn.  "Do  something 
that  will  bring  joy  to  me,  that  will  refresh  my 
heart,  and  do  it  in  Christ,  for  His  sake,  in  His 
Name  and  Spirit."  The  unusual  Greek  verb  in 
"  let  me  have  joy,  or  help,"  is  the  root  of  the  name 
"  Onesimus,"  and  it  seems  clear  that  Paul  is  again 
playing  upon  the  word.  "Let  Philemon  himself 
now  be  a  '  Helpful,'  an  '  Onesimus,'  to  me !  " 

21.  Having  confidence.  As  the  tone  of  the 
whole  letter  shows.  It  is  not  a  small  favour  that 
the  writer  asks — forgiveness   for  a  criminal.     But 


Philemon  22-25  ^^^ 

he  knows  that  he  has  only  to  speak  and  it  will 
be  granted.  This  is  not  confidence  in  human 
nature  as  such,  but  in  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which 
penetrates  and  transforms  human  nature.  Paul 
knows  that  Philemon,  the  Christian,  who  feels 
that  he  has  been  forgiven  ten  thousand  talents, 
will  not  take  by  the  throat  the  brother  who  owes 
him  a  few  hundred  pence. 


Philem.  22-25. 
HOSPITALITY— SALUTATIONS. 

22  But  withal  prepare   me   also   a   lodging  :  for   I  trust  that 

23  through  your  prayers  I   shall   be  given  unto  you.     There 
salute  thee  Epaphras,  my  fellowprisoner  in  Christ  Jesus  ; 

24  Marcus,  Aristarchus,   Demas,  Lucas,  my  fellowlabourers. 

25  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  your  spirit. 
Amen. 

22.  prepare    me    a    lodging.    This   is  too 

frigid.  A  lodging  for  Paul !  It  suggests  a  room 
outside  in  the  inn,  a  place  among  strangers ! 
Paul  does  not  insult  his  friend  by  hinting  at  such  a 
thing.  What  he  requests  is, ''  Be  ready  to  show  me 
hospitality."  The  warmth  and  sacredness  of 
Eastern  hospitality  have  always  been  proverbial. 
for  I  hope  I  shall  be  granted  unto  you.  The 
apostle  is  not  a  prophet  in  the  narrow  sense  of  the 
word.  He  can  only  use  the  language  of  hope. 
The  Divine  will  is  not  fully  revealed  to  him. 
There  is  a  sweet  naivete  in  his  use  of  the  word 
granted  unto  you.  It  would  be  affectation  to 
appear  ignorant  of  the  immense  importance  that 
would  attach  to  his  visit  to  Colossae,  so  high  is 
the  veneration,  so  great  the  love,  which  his  labours 


I02  Westminster  New  Testament 

have  won  for  him  in  the  heart  of  all  the  churches. 
But  in  his  self-consciousness  there  is  not  a  touch  of 
boastfulness. 

23,  24.  Epaphras,  my  fellow-prisoner,  who 
was  so  well  known  in  Colossae.  If  "fellow- 
prisoner"  is  to  be  taken  literally^  it  means  that 
his  relations  with  Paul  were  so  intimate  as  to 
excite  suspicion  and  lead  to  his  temporary  con- 
finement. But  it  may  only  mean  that  he  was  so 
constant  a  visitor,  so  faithful  an  attendant,  in 
Paul's  prison,  that  he  might  be  said  to  share  the 
apostle's  captivity.  For  the  other  names  mentioned 
here  see  Col.  iv.  10,  14.  They  are  valuable  links 
of  connection  between  the  two  epistles,  and  marks 
of  the  authenticity  of  both. 

25.  Cf  Gal.  vi.  18.  your  spirit  means  the 
spirit  of  the  persons  named  in  the  beginning  of  the 
letter.  Paul  does  not  say  "your  spirits,"  for  one 
spirit  animates  and  unites  that  household.  He 
prays  that  in  every  bosom  that  spirit  may  be 
partaker  of  the  same  grace. 


Eph.  i.  I,  2. 

SALUTATION. 

Paul,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ  by  the  will  of  God,  to  the 
saints  which  are  at  Ephesus,  and  to  the  faithful  in  Christ 
2  Jesus  :  Grace  be  to  you,  and  peace,  from  God  our  Father, 
and  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

L  Paul  .  .  .  will  of  God.  See  Col.  i.  1.  The 
first  of  many  parallelisms  of  thought  and  expression 
in  the  two  epistles.  See  Introduction,  p.  15.  to 
the  saints.  Holy  ones ;  persons  consecrated ; 
delivered  from  sin  and  devoted  to  God's  service. 
See  Col.  i.  2.  which  are  at  Ephesus.  It  is 
probable  that  Paul  did  not  write  the  words  "at 
Ephesus/'  which  are  wanting  in  the  best  MSS 
and  omitted  by  many  early  writers  who  quote  the 
passage.  It  is  certain  that  one  ancient  copy  of 
the  letter  had  the  words  "  in  Laodicea/'  and  it  is 
hkely  that  others  bore  the  names  of  other  Asian 
cities,  the  epistle  being  really  an  apostolic  en- 
cyclical. See  Introduction,  pp.  13-15.  and  the 
faithful.  Not  a  second  class,  but  "  the  saints  "  in 
another  aspect.  "  Faithful "  has  a  spiritual  and  an 
ethical  meaning — full  of  faith  and  worthy  of  trust, 
believing  in  Christ  and  loyal  to  Christ.  The  two 
meanings  are  frequently  and  very  naturally  blended, 
faith  and  life,  creed  and  conduct  being  as  cause 
and  effect.  in  Christ  Jesus.  Paul's  "mono- 
gram," expressing  his  central,  vital  teaching  in  a 

X03 


I04  Westminster  New  Testament 

single  mystic  phrase.  To  catch  the  meaning  of 
that  in  is  to  find  the  key  to  his  whole  theology 
of  experience.  The  phrase  occurs,  in  various 
forms,  twelve  times  in  the  first  thirteen  verses  of 
this  chapter.  It  is  one  of  the  links  between  Paul 
and  John,  and  our  Lord's  own  words,  "  Abide  in 
Me"  (John  xv.  4),  are  nowhere  more  wonderfully 
illustrated  than  in  "  Ephesians."  The  minds  of 
the  two  great  apostles  ran  parallel.  Neither  of 
them  could  live  without  that  mystic  union.  They 
had  both  learned  the  secret  from  Christ.  Faith 
not  only  gives  us  a  fellowship  with,  but  somehow 
incorporates  us  in,  the  risen  Lord. 

"  I  have  a  life  in  Christ  to  live  ; 
I  have  a  death  in  Christ  to  die  : 
And  must  I  wait  till  Science  give 
All  doubts  a  full  reply?" 

2.  Grace  .  .  .  peace.  See  Col.  i.  2.  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  words,  omitted 
by  the  R.V.  in  Col.  i.  9,,  are  certainly  authentic 
here.  They  imply  that  grace  and  peace  come 
equally  from  God  and  from  Jesus  Christ,  and 
nothing  could  more  clearly  or  impressively  indicate 
Paul's  sense  of  the  Divine  majesty  of  his  Lord. 


Eph.  i.  3-14. 
ELECTION  AND  REDEMPTION. 

3  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly 

4  places  in  Christ :  according  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  that  we  should  be  holy 

5  and   without    blame   before  him    in    love :    having    pre- 


Ephesians  i.  3-14  105 

destinated  us  unto  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ 

6  to  himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will,  to 
the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace,  wherein  he  hath  made 

7  us  accepted  in  the  beloved.  In  whom  we  have  redemption 
through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  according  to  the 

8  riches  of  his  grace ;  wherein  he  hath  abounded  toward  us 

9  in  all  wisdom  and  prudence  ;  having  made  known  unto 
us  the  mystery  of  his  will,  according  to  his  good  pleasure 

10  which  he  hath  purposed  in  himself:  that  in  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  fulness  of  times  he  might  gather  together  in  one 
all  things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven,  and  which 

1 1  are  on  earth  ;  even  in  him  :  in'whom  also  we  have  obtained 
an  inheritance,  being  predestinated  according  to  the  purpose 
of  him  who  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own 

12  will :  that  we  should  be  to  the  praise  of  his  glory,  who 

13  first  trusted  in  Christ.  In  whom  ye  also  trusted,  after 
that  ye  heard  the  word  of  truth,  the  gospel  of  your  salva- 
tion :  in  whom  also  after  that  ye  believed,  ye  were  sealed 

14  with  that  holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  is  the  earnest  of 
our  inheritance  until  the  redemption  of  the  purchased 
possession,  unto  the  praise  of  his  glory. 

This  passage  is  a  magnificent  hymn  of  praise. 
It  begins,  like  some  old  Hebrew  Psalm,  with 
"Blessed  be  God/'  and  ends  "to  the  praise  of  His 
glory."  From  first  to  last  it  is  essential  poetry. 
It  might  be  arranged  in  strophes,  like  the  Psalms 
and  Canticles  in  the  Revised  Version.  The  writer 
glows  with  the  inspiration  of  his  theme.  He  is 
at  once  calm  and  enthusiastic  as  he  writes  a  hymn 
to  the  grace  of  God,  or  rather  to  the  God  of  grace. 
He  weaves  into  one  splendid  sentence — perplexing 
to  the  grammarian,  but  adorable  to  the  lover  of 
verbal  music,  like  some  grand  composition  of 
Beethoven — his  thoughts  of  election,  adoption, 
redemption,  of  the  mystery  of  the  Father's  will. 


io6   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  gift  of  the  Son,  the  sealing  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
His  thoughts  are  all  Christo-centric.  God  gives 
us  every  spiritual  blessing  in  Christ.  Before  the 
creation  of  the  world  He  chose  us  in  Christ.  His 
grace  has  been  historically  mediated  to  us  in 
Christ.  We  have  our  redemption  in  Christ.  It 
is  God's  purpose  to  bring  all  things  under  one 
Head  in  Christ.  Formerly  the  Jews  hoped  in 
Christ,  now  the  Gentiles  also  believe  in  Christ. 
And  we  are  sealed  with  the  promised  Spirit  in 
Christ.  Every  conception  is  linked  to  the  vital 
truth  of  the  mystic  union  of  the  redeemed  with 
the  Redeemer,  so  that  Christ  is  all  in  all. 

3.  Blessed    be    the    God  .  .  .  who    hath 

blessed  us.  Songs  of  praise  ascend  where  streams 
of  mercy  flow.  God  blesses  us  and  we  bless  Him  ; 
but  how  different  is  the  content  of  the  verb  in 
the  two  clauses  !  We  bless  God  with  thoughts 
and  words,  He  blesses  us  with  gifts  and  deeds  of 
infinite  love,  with  every  spiritual  blessing. 
"  Every  "  is  emphatic.  If  we  have  the  feeling  that 
temporal  blessings  are  unevenly  distributed,  it  is  a 
consolation  to  know  that  spiritual  blessings  will  be 
divided  with  absolute  impartiality.  The  prayer  for 
gold  may  be  unheeded,  the  prayer  for  grace  is 
always  answered.  ''  No  good  thing  will  He  with- 
hold." in  the  heavenly  places.  Literally, 
"  the  heavenlies."  The  phrase  occurs  other  four 
times  in  this  epistle  (i.  20,  ii.  6,  iii.  10,  vi.  12),  and 
nowhere  else  in  the  N.T.  The  heavenly  places  are 
not  in  a  land  that  is  very  far  off.  They  lie  "  within 
and  about  the  true  Christian  "  (Lightfoot).  Isaac 
Walton  wrote  in  his  memorial  of  a  friend — 

"Of  this  blest  man  let  this  just  praise  be  given, 
Heaven  was  in  him  before  he  was  in  heaven." 


Ephesians  i.  3-14  107 

4,  5.  he  chose  us  .  .  .  having  foreordained 

us.  Election  is  not  a  speculative  cobweb^  but  a 
fact  of  experience.  Every  believer  knows  that  his 
salvation  is  from  beginning  to  end  a  Divine  act. 
And  it  is  certain  that  God  does  nothing  im- 
pulsively. He  thinks  things  out  (as  any  wise  man 
does)  before  He  acts  ;  whatever  He  effects  in  time 
He  has  planned  in  eternity.  He  therefore  thought 
of  us  and  of  our  salvation  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  and  if  the  world  has  been  spinning 
for  long  aeons  instead  of  a  few  thousand  years,  that 
only  makes  the  Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends  the 
more  wonderful,  holy  and  without  blemish. 
This  is  God's  ideal  for  us,  and  He  does  not  mock 
us  by  bidding  us  look  up  to  unattainable  heights  of 
holiness.  He  shows  us  infinite  possibilities.  His 
design  that  we  should  be  pure  and  sinless  in  His 
holy  eyes  is  one  which  He  Himself  will  see 
carried  through,  in  love.  In  their  present  posi- 
tion the  words  are  provokingly  vague.  Many 
scholars  take  them  over  into  the  5th  verse,  and 
read,  "having  in  love  predestined  us."  Then 
they  at  once  begin  to  palpitate  with  meaning. 
They  make  destiny  beautiful.  They  teach  us  that 
God's  plans  and  purposes  are  all  lustred  by  His 
love.  They  constrain  us  to  trust  a  sovereignty 
which  is  everlastingly  directed  by  an  infinitely 
tender  Heart.  untO  adoption  as  SOns.  Paul 
recognised  that  all  men  are  the  offspring  of  God 
(Acts  xvii.  28),  but  whenever  he  writes  of  sonship 
— as  he  does  frequeiitly — he  refers  to  the  new 
spiritual  relationship  into  which  men  enter  by  faith 
in  Christ.  The  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God 
is  for  the  new-born.  The  figure  of  adoption  is 
borrowed  from  Roman  law,  with  which  Paul   the 


io8  Westminster  New  Testament 

Roman  citizen  was  familiar.  The  practice  of  taking 
a  child  out  of  another  family  and  making  it  one's  own 
was  entirely  alien  to  Jewish  thoughts  and  habits. 

6.  his  will  .  .  .  his  grace.  Paul  rings  the 
changes  on  these  two  great  ideas.  Both  are 
intensely  real  to  him.  He  is  filled  with  awe  as  he 
thinks  of  "  the  good  pleasure  of  God's  will,"  "  the 
mystery  of  His  will/'  "  the  counsel  of  His  will." 
But  he  is  filled  with  delight  as  he  thinks  of  "  the 
glory  of  His  grace/'  "the  riches  of  His  grace." 
He  knows  that  the  one  truth  balances  the  other. 
He  steers  a  clear  course  between  the  Scylla  of 
fatalism  on  the  one  side  and  the  Charybdis  of 
sentimentalism  on  the  other.  He  believes  that 
nothing  happens  without  the  sovereign  volition^ 
and  nothing  without  the  infinite  goodness,  of 
God.  With  precisely  the  same  sense  of  the 
real  harmony  of  apparent  antitheses^  Brown- 
ing exclaims,  "All's  love,  and  yet  all's  law."  in 
the  Beloved.  One  of  the  sweetest  of  the 
Saviour's  names.  It  had  already  been  a  designa- 
tion of  the  Messiah  among  the  Jews.  Christ  is 
beloved  of  the  Father  for  His  own  sake  ;  we  are 
beloved  (v.  1)  for  His  sake.  He,  the  altogether 
lovely,  is  always  well-pleasing  to  God  ;  we,  unlovely 
and  unlovable,  are  well-pleasing  because  He  en- 
circles us  with  His  love. 

7.  our  redemption.  This  great  word  has  the 
stricter  sense  of  rescue  by  ransom,  and  the  wider 
of  deliverance  by  any  means.  The  Christian 
redemption  is  always  related  to  the  shedding  of 
the  blood  of  Christ,  which  is  regarded  as  a  ransom- 
price  (cf  1  Pet.  i.  18,  19).  Paul  is  at  pains  to 
define  redemption  as  the  forgiveness  of  tres- 
passes.      The    definition     was     probably    meant 


Ephesians  i.  3-14  109 

especially  for  the  perusal  of  the  Gnostics,  who 
believed  in  redemption  by  illumination.  Forgive- 
ness is  not  by  any  means  the  only  element  in 
redemption,  but  it  is  the  first  and  most  essential,  so 
that  the  part  may  be  identified,  as  it  is  here,  with 
the  whole,  riches  of  his  grace.  "  Riches  "  occurs 
five  times  in  this  letter.  It  is  characteristic  of  Paul. 
He  teaches  us  that  all  the  limitless  wealth  of  God 
is  made  over  to  us  in  Christ.     See  Col.  iii.  l6. 

8,  9.  God  has  made  His  grace  to  abound 
toward  us.  Here  Bunyan  got  half  of  the  title  of  his 
autobiography,  '^  Grace  Abounding  to  the  Chief  of 
Sinners."  The  other  half  was  suggested  to  him  by 
1  Tim.  i.  15.  wisdom  and  prudence  are  lauded 
in  the  Prison  Epistles.  Contrast  the  disparagement 
of  them  in  Luke  x.  21  and  1  Cor.  i.  20,  26.  In  the 
one  case  wisdom  is  spiritual — the  knowledge  of 
the  mystery  of  God's  will — in  the  other  it  is 
carnal  and  secular.  In  the  N.T.  mystery  means 
an  open  secret — something  once  hidden  but  now 
revealed  (see  p.  47).  The  Divine  plan  of  redemp- 
tion, the  admission  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  union 
of  Christ  with  His  Church,  are  the  mysteries  of  this 
epistle,  in  which  the  word  occurs  six  times. 

10.  a  dispensation,  or  "  stewardship  "  ;  literally, 
'^  economy."  God  is  the  great  Householder,  and 
the  Church  His  household ;  Christ  is  the  Steward 
who  has  supreme  control  over  its  affairs.  He  is  en- 
trusted with  the  management  of  everything  in  this 
age,  or  stage,  of  the  world's  history,  called  (from 
this  passage)  the  Christian  "  dispensation."  the 
fulness  of  the  times,  or  seasons,  of  revelation 
and  providence,  is  the  time  of  Christ,  our  own  era 
of  grace,  which  will  ere  long  end  in  timeless  glory. 
to  sum  up  all  things  in  Christ.   Lit,  to  bring 


lO 


Westminster  New  Testament 


all  things  under  one  Head.  ("Recapitulate" 
comes  from  the  equivalent  Latin  word.)  This  is 
at  once  the  Christian  programme  of  Paul  the 
apostle  and  the  imperial  ideal  of  Paul  the  Roman 
citizen.  He  knows  that  the  unity  which  the 
Caesars  have  impressed  upon  the  Empire  is  external 
and  superficial.  But  another  organising  and 
reconciling  Factor  has  come.  Christ  will  succeed 
where  the  Caesars  have  failed.      By  destroying  sin 

He  will  restore  all  things,  both  in  heaven  and  on 

earth,  to  their  normal  condition  of  harmony  and 
unity.  The  reunion  of  God's  separated  creation 
will  be  effected  by  the  correlation  of  all  things  to 
one  Head.  It  will  not  be  a  mere  fusion  or  coalition, 
but  a  vital  and  organic  union.  This  will  be  the 
"  summing-up  "  of  history  —  the  consummation 
devoutly  to  be  wished,  all  things  might  be 
translated  "  the  universe/'  and  the  vast  expansion 
of  the  meaning  of  the  word  in  modern  times  only 
makes  the  apostle's  confident  hope  the  more 
impressive.  Every  Christian  must  needs  be  an 
optimist,  both  for  himself  and  for  all  creation. 

11.  we  have  obtained  an  inheritance. 
Here  the  A.V.  is  at  least  as  good  as  the  R.V. 
That  in  Christ  we  have  been  made  heirs  of  God  is 
a  familiar  Pauline  idea  (see  Rom.  viii.  17).  The 
R.V.  gives  the  expression  an  O.T.  turn.  "We 
were  made  a  heritage  "  means  that  God  has  chosen 
us  as  His  lot  or  inheritance.  "  The  Lord's  portion 
is  His  people"  (Deut.  xxxii.  9).  foreordained  .  .  . 
purpose  .  .  .  counsel  .  .  .  will.  Paul  is  not 
afraid  to  "reason  high  of  providence,  foreknow- 
ledge, will,  and  fate."  He  is  no  determinist,  but 
he  wants  to  eliminate  all  idea  of  merit  from  the 
minds  of  those  who  are  heirs  of   salvation.      He 


Ephesians  i.  3-14  m 

wishes  us  to  recognise  the  teHc  action  of  a  supreme 
Mind  and  Will.  He  bids  us  bless  the  Hand  that 
guided  and  the  Heart  that  planned.  His  teaching 
is  in  harmony  with  the  growing  conviction  of  modern 
times^  that  all  force  is  mind-force. 

12 J  13.  we  .  .  .  ye.  We  Jev/s,  ye  Gentiles, 
we  .  .  .  hoped  in  Christ.  We  cherished  the 
Messianic  hope ;  we  waited  long  for  the  morning. 
Now  the  day  has  dawned  ;  Israel's  hope  is  realised  ; 
the  Christ  has  come,  in  whom  ...  in  whom. 
One  of  Paul's  many  broken  constructions.  The 
second  "  in  whom "  picks  up  the  thread,  the 
truth,  the  gospel.  Outside  the  gospel  there  is  to 
Paul  nothing  worthy  to  be  called  "the  truth."  It 
alone  gives  him^  as  an  educated  and  thinking  man^ 
a  reasoned  view  of  life  and  the  universe.  The 
patient  seeker  after  truth  finds  it  in  Christy  and  the 
conception  of  things  which  satisfies  his  intellect 
transforms  his  life.  The  "word  of  truth"  is  more 
than  a  philosophy^  it  is  a  gospel  of  salvation,     ye 

were  sealed  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  BeUevers 
were  marked  or  certified  as  true  Christians  when 
they  received  the  Spirit  of  promise — the  Spirit  who 
had  been  promised.  The  reality  of  their  faith  in 
Christ  was  attested,  both  to  their  own  conscious- 
ness and  to  the  judgment  of  others,  by  their 
spiritual  gifts  and  graces.  The  Spirit's  work  upon 
them  was  like  the  signing  and  sealing  of  a  testa- 
ment, only  it  was  profound,  inward,  spiritual. 
Some  ancient  Fathers  and  some  modern  Catechists 
have  spoken  of  baptism  as  the  seal  of  union  with 
Christ.  That,  however,  is  only  an  outward  and 
visible  sign.  The  real  seal  is  the  unmistakable 
and  indelible  stamp  made  on  the  human  spirit 
itself  by  the  operation  of  God  the  Holy  Ghost. 


112  Westminster  New  Testament 

14.  which  is  the  earnest.  Read  "who." 
The  reference  is  not  to  "  promise  "  but  to  "  Spirit." 
It  is  a  pity  that  the  neuter  "  which  "  should  ever 
follow  "the  Holy  Spirit/'  as  it  habitually  does 
both  in  the  A.V.  and  the  R.V.  Both  grammatically 
and  theologically  this  is  confusing.  An  earnest  is 
an  instalment  of  purchase-money,  paid  at  once  as 
a  proof  of  the  reality  of  a  bargain  and  a  pledge  of 
full  payment.  (The  Scotch  say  "  arles/'  from  the 
French  arrhes — one  of  many  linguistic  proofs  of  an 
old  entente  cordiale.^  The  Spirit  of  truth  and  love 
and  power,  who  possesses  us  rather  than  is  possessed 
by  us,  is  the  first  instalment  of  the  inheritance 
which  is  ours  in  Christ,  unto  the  redemption 
(see  ver.  7).  This  great  word  has  sometimes  a 
backward,  sometimes  a  forward  look.  Here  the 
reference  is  evidently  to  the  final  and  perfect 
redemption — the  deliverance,  still  by  ransom, 
from  the  last  effects  of  sin  (cf.  Rom.  viii.  23). 
Paul  takes  some  of  the  most  cherished  words  of 
the  Old  Covenant — promise,  inheritance,  redemp- 
tion, possession — over  into  the  New,  making  the 
Gentiles  partakers  of  the  sacred  treasures  which 
they  have  so  long  enshrined,  in  order  that  a  far 
greater  Israel,  an  innumerable  company  of 
redeemed  spirits — God's  own  possession — may 
live  to  the  praise  of  His  glory. 


Eph.  i.  15-23. 
PRAYER  FOR  THE  SPIRIT  OF  WISDOM. 

15  Wherefore  I  also,  after  I  heard  of  your  faith  in  the  Lord 

16  Jesus,  and   love    unto   all   the   saints,    cease   not   to   give 
thanks   for   you,  making  mention  of  you  in  my  prayers  ; 


Ephesians  i.  15-23  113 

17  that  the  God  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of 
glory,  may  give  unto  you  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  revela- 

18  tion  in  the  knowledge  of  him  :  the  eyes  of  your  under- 
standing being  enlightened ;  that  ye  may  know  what  is 
the  hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory 

19  of  his  inheritance  in  the  saints,  and  what  is  the  exceeding 
greatness  of  his  power  to  us-ward  who  believe,  according 

20  to  the  working  of  his  mighty  power,  which  he  wrought 
in  Christ,  when  he  raised  him  from  the  dead,  and  set  him 

21  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far  above  all 
principality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and 
every  name  that   is   named,  not   only  in  this   world,  but 

22  also  in  that  which  is  to  come  :  and  hath  put  all  things 
under  his  feet,  and  gave  him  to  be  the  head  over  all  things 

23  to  the  church,  which  is  his  body,  the  fulness  of  him  that 
filleth  all  in  all. 

Paul  tells  his  readers  of  an  oft-repeated  act  of 
praise  and  prayer.  He  habitually  thanks  God 
for  the  faith  and  love  of  the  churches  to  whom 
he  is  writings  and  fervently  desires  for  them  a 
fuller  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  their  spiritual 
heritage,  and  of  the  marvellous  power  which  is 
working  on  their  behalf — the  same  power  which 
raised  Christ  from  the  grave  and  made  Him 
supreme  over  all  creation  and  Head  of  the  Church 
which  is  His  body  and  His  fulness. 

15.  I  also,  having  heard.  It  was  natural 
that  Paul  should  write  in  such  terms  to  the 
Colossians,  whom  he  had  never  seen  (Col.  i.  4) ; 
but  could  he  say  that  he  had  merely  "  heard  "  of 
the  faith  of  the  Ephesians,  among  whom  he  had 
lived  and  laboured  for  nearly  three  years  ?  It  is 
scarcely  possible.  Acts  xx.  shows  how  warm  and 
intimate  were  his  relations  with  the  Christians  of 
Ephesus.     In  this    epistle  he  must  have  in  view, 


114  Westminster  New  Testament 

in  addition  to  such  readers,  a  number  of  other 
churches,  of  which  he  has  only  heard  by  report. 
See  Introduction,  p.  13.  faith  .  .  .  love.  Paul 
probably  dictated  both  these  words,  just  as  the 
A.V.  has  them.  The  R.V.,  following  the  best 
MSS,  omits  ^Hove,"  but  the  resultant  reading  is 
extremely  awkward.  "  Faith  towards  all  the 
saints"  is  an  expression  quite  without  parallel. 
The  omission  may  be  an  error,  not  of  the  copyist, 
but  of  Paul's  own  amanuensis. 

16.  cease  not.  See  Col.  i.  3;  Philem.  4. 
thanks  .  .  .  prayers.  It  is  a  striking  fact  that 
nearly  all  the  apostle's  recorded  thanksgivings 
and  prayers  are  altruistic.  His  own  personality 
does  not  overshadow  the  throne  of  grace.  In 
his  intense  desire  to  save  others  he  all  but 
forgets  (like  Wilberforce)  that  he  has  a  soul  of 
his  own  to  save,  and  his  sympathy  is  pre-eminent 
in  his  communion  with  God.  His  prayers  are 
intercessions.  His  spirit  basks  in  the  sunshine 
of  others'  joy  ;  and  only  the  sorrows  of  others  throw 
a  shadow  over  him. 

17.  the  God  of  our  Lord.  God  endears 
Himself  to  us  through  all  the  others  who  have 
loved  and  worshipped  Him.  We  feel  drawn  to  the 
God  of  Abram,  David,  Isaiah ;  we  adore  the  God 
of  the  saints  and  martyrs ;  we  will  think  often 
before  we  renounce  our  own  father's  and  mother's 
God.  But  the  God  who  wins  all  our  love  is  the 
God  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  who  knew 
Him  best  has  perfectly  revealed  Him  to  us 
as  the  Father  of  glory,  a  phrase  which  adds 
so  much  to  the  Psalmist's  ''  King  of  glory " 
(Ps.  xxiv.  8,  10).  a  spirit  of  wisdom.  Some 
would  read  "the  Spirit  of  wisdom."     In  any  case 


Ephesians  i.  15-23  115 

the  real  spirit  of  wisdom  is  the  gift  of  tlie 
Holy  Spirit  who  guides  men  into  all  truth.  The 
apostle  who  most  deeply  distrusts  ^^the  wisdom 
of  this  world"  (1  Cor.  i.  20)  most  highly  prizes 
"  spiritual  wisdom  "  (Col.  i.  9)^  "  the  wisdom  of  God  " 
(1  Cor.  ii.  7).  "  Knowledge  comes,  but  wisdom 
lingers." 

18.  the  eyes  of  your  heart.    Plato  speaks  of 

"the  eye  of  the  soul/'  and  Milton  prays:  "So 
much  the  rather,  Thou,  Celestial  Light,  dwell 
inward,  there  plant  eyes."  the  hope  of  his 
calling  is  the  hope  related  to  the  calling  which 
He  has  given  us.  This  is  not  so  much  the  sub- 
jective emotion  as  the  objective  prospect ;  the 
radiant  heavenly  hope  that  is  set  before  us ;  the 
beckoning  Christian  vision  of  perfection,  riches 
.  .  .  glory  .  .  .  inheritance.  No  one  knew  better 
than  Paul  how  to  make  magnificent  language 
express  magnificent  things.  "  Our  inheritance  " 
(repeated  from  ver.  14)  is  now  called  "His  inherit- 
ance among  the  saints," — the  inheritance  which  is 
His  gift  to  the  saints.  Another  interpretation, 
which  makes  the  saints  themselves  His  heritage, 
on  the  analogy  of  "the  Lord's  portion  is  His 
people,"  is  less  likely. 

19.  his  power  to  US-ward.  His  power  stream 
ing  toward  us,  and  for  ever  energising  on  our 
behalf.  In  iii.  20  it  is  called  "the  power  that 
worketh  in  us."  The  same  Divine  might  by 
which  Christ  rose  victorious  from  the  grave  is 
taking  us  in  hand,  so  that  nothing  is  impossible. 
We  have  all  omnipotence  behind  us,  and  we 
cannot  fail  (cf.  Isa.  xl.  26-31). 

20.  he    raised    him.     Christianity   as    a    con- 
quering faith  reposes  on  this  fact  of  history.     The 


ii6  Westminster  New  Testament 

N.T.  message  is  distinctively  the  Gospel  of  the 
Resurrection.  Christ's  rising  again  from  the  dead 
is  the  most  stimulating  and  uplifting  force  in  the 
moral  life  of  mankind,  for  it  is  the  victory  of 
idealism  over  materialism.  It  lights  for  us  the  lamp 
of  immortality,  made  him  to  sit  on  his  right 
hand.  On  the  throne  of  the  universe,  as  Lord 
of  all.  The  adoring  hosts  with  songs  surround  it, 
and  He  sits  thereon  (Rev.  iii.  21). 

21.  far  above  all.  The  highest  place  that 
Heaven  affbrds  is  His  by  right,  principalities 
.  .  .  dominion.  These  words  were  current  in 
the  angelology  and  angelolatry  of  the  time ; 
abstract  names  for  the  invisible  elemental  spirits 
of  heaven  and  earth  (see  Col.  i.  l6).  If  Paul  does 
not  relegate  them  to  the  region  of  myth,  he  at 
any  rate  dethrones  them  from  the  place  of  worship 
in  the  human  heart.  For  him  there  is  but  one 
Name  that  is  to  be  named  with  Divine  honours. 

22,  23.  put  .  .  .  under  his  feet.  A  remini- 
scence of  Ps.  viii.  7,  where  man  is  idealised  as  lord 
of  creation.  That  conception  is  first  fully  realised 
in  Christ,  risen,  exalted,  reigning,  head  .  ,  .  tO 
the  church.  In  Paul's  epistles  the  word  "  church  " 
ranges  in  meaning  from  the  little  company  of 
believers  worshipping  in  a  private  house,  or  the 
single  congregation  of  a  town,  to  the  Christian 
community  of  a  province  or  country,  and  finally 
to  the  whole  brotherhood  of  believers  throughout 
the  world — the  Church  universal  or  Catholic.  In 
Ephesians  it  always  has  the  widest  significance. 
The  relation  between  Christ  and  His  Church  is  a 
matter  of  supreme  importance.  It  is  not  merely 
the  external  association  of  sovereign  and  subject, 
teacher  and  taught,  but  the  vital,  organic  relation 


Ephesians  ii.  i-io  117 

of  head  and  body.  Christ  is  literally  the  Life  of 
the  Churchy  which  is  His  body,  and  through  which 
He  accomplishes  His  will.  And  just  as  the  body 
can  do  nothing  without  the  Head,  so,  we  may 
reverently  say,  the  Head  can  do  nothing  without 
the  body.  Therefore  the  Church  is  also  called 
the  fulness,  or  complement,  of  Christ.  All  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwells  in  Him  (Col.  ii.  9), 
and  He  imparts  all  that  fulness  to  the  Church, 
which  thus  becomes  His  medium  of  perfect  self- 
realisation.  "  Such  is  Christ's  love  for  the  Church, 
that  He,  as  it  were,  regards  Himself  as  incomplete 
unless    He   has   the  Church   united  to   Him   as  a 

body"  (Beza).  him  that  filleth  all  in  all. 
The  reference  is  to  Christ.  He  fills  all  things  with 
all  things.  The  universe  is  His  and  the  fulness 
thereof.  For  other  statements  regarding  His 
relation  to  "all  things,"  see  Col.  i.  17  ;  Heb.  i.  3. 


Eph.  ii.  i-io. 
THE  WORKMANSHIP  OF  GOD. 

And  you  hath  he  quickened,  who  were  dead  in  trespasses 

2  and  sins  ;  wherein  in  time  past  ye  walked  according  to 
the  course  of  this  world,  according  to  the  prince  of  the 
power   of  the   air,    the   spirit   that   now   worketh   in   the 

3  children  of  disobedience  :  among  whom  also  we  all  had 
our  conversation  in  times  past  in  the  lusts  of  our  flesh, 
fulfilling  the  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  mind  ;  and 
were   by   nature   the  children   of  wrath,  even   as   others. 

4  But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith 

5  he  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath 
quickened   us    together   with    Christ,    (by    grace    ye    are 

6  saved  j)  and  hath  raised  us  up  together,  and  made  us  sit 


ii8  Westminster  New  Testament 

7  together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus :  that  in  the 
ages  to  come  he   might  shew  the  exceeding  riches  of  his 

8  grace  in  his  kindness  toward  us  through  Christ  Jesus.  For 
by  grace   are   ye   saved   through  faith ;   and   that   not   of 

9  yourselves :  it  is  the  gift  of  God  :  not  of  works,  lest  any 
man  should  boast.  For  we  are  his  workmanship,  created 
in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  which  God  hath  before 
ordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them. 

He  who  raised  and  exalted  Christ  has  in  love 
raised  and  exalted  sinners  with  Him,  saving  them 
not  because  of  any  merits  of  their  own  but  in  the 
wealth  of  His  grace,  and  preparing  them  for  a 
life  of  holiness  which  He  has  already  prepared 
for  them.  This  is  one  of  the  grandest  evangelical 
passages  in  the  N.T.  It  abounds  in  vivid,  startling 
contrasts — death  and  life,  nature  and  grace,  works 
and  faith,  wrath  and  love,  this  world  and  the 
heavenlies,  the  working  of  the  spirit  of  evil  and 
the  workmanship  of  God. 

1.  And  you  .  .  .  This  is  another  of  Paul's  many 
broken  constructions  {anacoloutha).  In  the  Greek 
we  do  not  reach  the  verb  which  has  slipped  from 
his  mind  till  we  get  to  the  5th  verse,  where  he 
recovers  the  lost  thread.  But  the  translators  have 
inserted  the  missing  word  in  the  1st  verse,  when 
ye  were  dead.  The  natural  man  is  in  a  state  of 
moral  and  spiritual  insensibility,  similar  to  that 
of  a  paralysed  arm  in  the  body.  He  is  dead  to 
the  motives  and  voices  of  the  spiritual  world,  just 
as  the  true  Christian  in  his  turn  becomes  dead  to 
the  motives  and  voices  of  the  sensual  world  (Col. 
iii.  3).  dead  ...  ye  walked  ...  we  lived. 
The  sequence  is  very  striking.  Their  hearts 
throbbed,  their  eyes  glistened,  their  spirits  danced 
in  busy  scenes  of  earthly  gloiy  and  pleasure,  love 


Ephesians  ii.  i-io  119 

and  hope.  They  seemed  to  be  bubbling  over  with 
vitality.     Yet  they  were  dead  !     (Cf.  1  Tim.  v.  6.) 

2.  the  course  of  this  world,  or  this  age.  There 
is  a  drift  of  opinion,  a  tide  of  sentiment,  in  the  epoch 
on  which  we  have  been  cast  from  which  none  of  us 
can  quite  escape.  "The  spirit  of  the  age"  is  a  modem 
phrase  which  scarcely  conveys  the  idea,  unless  we 
were  to  think  of  the  Zeitgeist  as  predominantly  bad. 
the  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air.  "  That  the 
notion  of  the  air  being  the  dwelling-place  of  spirits, 
and  specially  of  evil,  was  current,  appears  to  be 
beyond  doubt.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  supposing 
that  St.  Paul  is  here  alluding  to  such  current 
notions.  Nor  are  we  to  suppose  that  he  is  con- 
veying any  special  revelation  about  the  matter  " 
(Abbott).  To  us  moderns  the  idea  of  an  air-prince 
inevitably  suggests  something  quite  different !  the 
prince  ...  of  the  spirit  that  now  worketh. 
This  is  a  difficult  clause.  The  thought  seems  to 
be  that  there  is  an  impersonal  evil  spirit  that 
seduces  the  minds  of  disobedient  men,  and  that 
this  world-spirit  has  a  personal  origin.  It  is  clear 
that  Paul  believed  not  merely  in  a  principle 
but  a  prince  of  evil,  a  superhuman  instigator  of  re- 
bellion against  God,  a  prince  ruling  not  in  absolute 
kingship,  but  as  a  pretender,  a  usurper,  sons  of 
disobedience.  A  Hebrew  mode  of  expression. 
Compare  "  sons  of  iniquity,"  "  sons  of  light," 
"  sons  of  perdition."  Also,  children  of  wrath  in 
the  next  verse,  which  means  worthy  of,  or  exposed 
to,  wrath,  as  in  such  phrases  as  "a  son  of  stripes," 
"a  son  of  death." 

3, 4.  wrath  .  .  .  mercy  .  .  .  great  love.  The 
proximity  of  the  words  is  striking.  Pure  love  and 
equally  pure  wrath  are  next  neighbours.     Perhaps 


I20  Westminster  New  Testament 

nothing  is  so  desiderated  in  the  religion  of  to-day 
as  the  restoration  of  the  idea  of  wrath.  It  is  so 
difficult  for  men  to  be  angry  without  sinning  that 
we  naturally  shrink  from  attributing  wrath  to  God. 
But  who  can  either  love  or  fear  a  God  who  does  not 
care  enough  for  us  to  be  wrathful  (with  perfect  holi- 
ness) when  we  sin,  as  the  most  loving  father  is  angry 
with  sons  who  have  been  really  wicked  ?  Paul  be- 
lieves in  a  God  of  wrath  because  he  believes  in  a 
God  of  great  love.  The  spirit  of  man  is  both 
"  consumed  and  quickened  by  the  glance  of  God." 
we  also  are  Jews^  the  rest  Gentiles. 

5.  quickened  us  .  .  .  with  Christ.  Another 
expression  of  the  marvellous  union  between  Christ 
and  believers,  which  is  so  close  that  every  ex- 
perience of  His  has  its  spiritual  analogue  in  them. 
They  die  with  Him,  and  they  are  quickened  (be- 
come ^^  quick/'  or  alive)  with  Him.  Then  they 
ascend  with  Him,  and  sit  in  heavenly  places  with 
Him,  while  all  the  time  they  remain  on  this 
prosaic  earth,  have  ye  been  saved.  Salvation 
is  variously  viewed  in  the  N.T.  as  past,  present,  or 
future.  Here  it  is  regarded  as  an  accomplished 
fact,  never  requiring  to  be  repeated,  but  with 
abiding  issues. 

5-8.  by  grace  .  .  .  exceeding  riches  of  his 
grace  ...  by  grace.  Grace,  which  is  God's 
redeeming  love  for  sinners,  is  the  cardinal  fact  in 
Paul's  theology.  It  occurs  over  a  hundred  times 
in  his  letters.  It  is  his  ineintable  w^ord.  Its  various 
aspects  are  to  him  the  facets  of  a  priceless  gem. 
Merit  has  no  place  in  salvation,  which  is  from  be- 
ginning to  end  by  grace,  through  faith.  Pride 
is  a  mistake  as  well  as  a  sin  ;  grace  precludes  all 
glorying  ;  salvation  comes  to  us  as  the  gift  of  God. 


Ephesians  ii.  11-22  121 

9,10.  not  of  works  .  .  .  for  good  works.  No 

man  dreaded  good  works  so  much  as  Paiil^  and 
no  man  loved  them  more.  His  mind  was  perfectly 
balanced.  He  saw  clearly  that  while  we  are  not 
saved  by  good  works,  we  are  created  in  Christ 
Jesus  /or  good  works.  We  do  not  serve  for  salva- 
tion, we  are  saved  for  service.  It  has  been  well 
said  by  Adolphe  Monod  that  this  little  word  ^'^for" 
reconciles  St.  Paul  and  St.  James  better  than  all 
the  commentators,  we  are  his  workmanship. 
All  Nature  is  God's  handiwork,  but  the  finest 
products    of    His    skill    are    sinners    made    saints. 

created  us  in  Christ  Jesus  (cf.  Gal.  vi.  15). 

Breathing  into  man  the  breath  of  life  was  scarcely 
so  wonderful  as  is  breathing  into  sinful  man  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Conversion  is  the  highest  kind  of 
creation. 


Eph.  ii.  11-22. 
CHRIST  MAKING  AND  PREACHING  PEACE. 

11  Wherefore  remember,  that  ye  being  in  time  past  Gentiles 
in  the  flesh,  who  are  called  Uncircumcision  by  that  which 
is  called   the    Circumcision   in  the  flesh  made  by  hands  ; 

12  that  at  that  time  ye  were  without  Christ,  being  aliens  from 
the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  strangers  from  the 
covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  without  God 

13  in  the  world  :  but  now  in  Christ  Jesus  ye  who  sometimes 

14  were  far  off  are  made  nigh  by  the  blood  of  Christ.  For  he 
is  our  peace,  who  hath  made  both  one,  and  hath  broken 

15  down  the  middle  wall  of  partition  between  us;  having 
abolished  in  his  flesh  the  enmity,  even  the  law  of  com- 
mandments   contained    in   ordinances ;    for   to    make    in 

16  himself  of  twain  one  new  man,  so  making  peace  ;  and  that 
he   might   reconcile   both  unto  God  in   one  body  by  the 


122  Westminster  New  Testament 

17  cross,  having  slain   the   enmity  thereby  :    and  came   and 
preached  peace  to  you  which  were  afar  ofif,  and  to  them 

18  that  were  nigh.     For  through  him  we  both  have  access  by 

19  one   Spirit   unto   the   Father.     Now  therefore  ye   are  no 
more  strangers  and  foreigners,  but  fellowcitizens  with  the 

20  saints,  and  of  the  household  of  God ;  and  are  built  upon 
the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ 

21  himself  being   the    chief  corner  stone;    in  whom   all  the 
building  fitly  framed  together  groweth  unto  an  holy  temple 

22  in  the  Lord  :  in  whom  ye  also  are  builded  together  for  an 
habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit. 

The  sweet,  dominant  note  of  this  passage  is  peace. 
Having  heard  it  once,  we  listen  for  it  again  and 
again,  and  not  in  vain.  To  see  the  olive  branch 
which  a  Jew  presented  to  the  Gentile  world  was  in 
those  days  enough  to  take  one's  breath  away.  In 
his  hot  youth  Paul  would  have  rejected  the  idea  of 
a  compact  between  the  circumcised  and  the  un- 
circumcised  with  unlimited  scorn.  But  a  portent 
has  appeared  which  has,  in  his  own  language,  slain 
and  aljolished  the  old  enmity.  It  is  the  Cross. 
Jew  and  Gentile  come  nigh  to  God,  and  to  one 
another,  through  Christ's  blood.  Both  have  access 
in  one  Spirit  to  the  Father,  and  in  His  presence 
they  are  reconciled.  Christ  creates  a  new  man- 
hood, neither  Jewish  nor  Gentile  but  Christian  ;  and 
all  believers  form  one  holy  temple  inhabited  by  God. 

11.  remember  that  aforetime.  Not  incon- 
sistent with  the  advice  to  forget  the  things  which 
are  behind  (Phil.  iii.  13).  If  you  are  thinking  of  the 
past  complacently,  forget  it ;  if  humbly  and  thank- 
fully, cherish  the  memory  (cf.  Isa.  li.  1).  '^  I  often 
take  a  dander  up  and  down  my  unregenerate  days," 
said  a  Scottish  saint.  Circumcision  had  once 
been   to    Paul   a   sacramental   mark,    the   sign    of 


Ephesians  ii.  1 1-22  123 

entrance  into  covenant  with  God,  but  by  Divine 
grace  he  has  emancipated  himself  entirely  from 
that  realm  of  ideas.  Instead  of  a  sign  in  the  flesh, 
made  by  human  hands,  he  now  desires  a  reality  in 
the  spirit,  made  by  the  hand  of  God. 

12.  without  Christ  .  .  .  without  God.  The 
spiritual  poverty  of  the  Gentiles  seemed  to  Paul 
a  fivefold  deprivation.  They  were  without  the 
Messiah,  without  the  commonwealth  of  Israel, 
without  the  covenants,  without  hope,  without  God. 
Contrast  what  he  says  of  Israel  (Rom,  ix.  3-5). 
The  statement  that  the  Gentiles  are  ^^  without 
God  "  is  a  general  one.  There  were  noble  excep- 
tions. Paul  elsewhere  quotes  with  approval  a 
devout  Gentile  saying,  "  For  we  are  also  His  off- 
spring." But  even  now  a  reading  of  the  best  that 
has  been  said  by  the  religious  teachers  of  Greece 
only  serves  to  confirm  one's  sense  of  the  vast 
superiority  of  the  religious  heritage  of  Israel, 
aliens  .  .  .  strangers.  In  those  days  it  was  the 
Gentiles  who  were  to  the  Jews  undesirable  aliens. 
They  were  strangers — a  familiar  civic  term — to  the 
theocratic  kingdom,  outlanders  who  had  no  rights 
and  privileges  among  the  chosen  people,  spiritual 
inferiors  who  received  at  the  best  but  a  cold 
welcome  as  proselytes  of  the  gate. 

13.  far  off  .  .  .  made  nigh  (cf.  Isa.  Ivii.  19). 
To  sin  is  to  go  into  the  far  country,  to  repent  is  to 
come  nigh  again  to  the  Father's  House.  On  the 
whole  the  heathen  were  unquestionably  remote  from 
God  in  comparison  with  Israel,  who  had  heard  the 
voice,  "  Draw  nigh  to  Me,  and  I  will  draw  nigh  to 
you."  nigh  in  the  blood  of  Christ.  His  life- 
blood  is  the  condition  of  our  acceptance  (Matt, 
xxvi.  28).     Every  believer   becomes   like   a   high 


124  Westminster  New  Testament 

priest  entering  the  holy  place  of  communion  with 
blood  not  his  own. 

14..  he  is  our  peace.  "He"  is  emphatic — 
He  in  His  own  person,  He  alone.  The  primary 
idea  is  peace  between  Jew  and  Gentile,  but  that 
of  peace  between  God  and  man  is  close  at  hand. 
None  of  the  gifts  of  God  come  to  us  apart  from 
Christ,  the  unspeakable  Gift.  We  ask  God  to 
give  us  truth,  life,  peace ;  we  receive  Christ,  and 
find  that  He  is  the  Truth  and  the  Life,  He  is  our 
Peace.  both  one.  Instead  of  a  sharp  division 
there  is  now  a  perfect  union,  all  nations  forming 
one  family  of  the  living  God.  the  middle  wall. 
The  figure  was  probably  suggested  to  Paul  by  the 
wall  in  the  Temple  area  dividing  the  Court  of  the 
Gentiles  from  that  of  the  Jews.  On  this  wall  was 
inscribed  a  warning  (unearthed  only  a  few  years 
ago)  that  any  man  of  another  nation  who  passed 
inside  would  have  himself  to  blame  for  the  death 
which  would  ensue.  Paul  in  imagination  sees 
this  wall  broken  down,  as  within  a  few  years  it 
was  broken  down  in  fact.  For  a  modern  parallel 
one  thinks  of  the  wall  of  partition  at  the  Jews 
Wailing  Place,  where  for  many  centuries  they 
cried  in  vain  for  entrance.  At  last  a  bloodless 
revolution  has  come,  the  gates  are  open,  and  the 
outcasts  are  admitted  inside,  just  as  if  the  middle 
wall  had  suddenly  been  broken  down. 

15.  the  enmity,  even  the  law.  The  apposi- 
tion of  these  two  expressions  is  somewhat  harsh, 
but  the  meaning  is  clear.  The  enmity  is  the 
racial  antipathy  between  Jew  and  Gentile.  Christ 
has  ended  it  by  abrogating  the  laM^,  which  is 
the  ground  of  Jewish  pride  and  hostility,  and 
bringing   in   the    new   order   of   grace,   which   is 


Ephesians  ii.  11-22  125 

equally  kind  to  Jew  and  Gentile.  By  drawing  to 
Himself  these  age-long  national  foes^  by  filling 
them  both  alike  with  His  Spirit^  Christ  creates 
of  the  twain  one  new  man,  a  wholly  fresh  type 
of  manhood,  which  is  at  once  international  and 
ideally  human  just  because  it  is  Christian. 

16.  reconcile  unto  God.  Christ  brings  Jew 
and  Gentile  into  right  relations  to  each  other  by 
bringing  both  into  right  relations  to  the  Father 
in  one  body,  the  Church,  having  slain  the 
enmity.  How  many  evils  He  slew  in  the  hour 
He  was  slain !  His  cross  is  a  two-edged  sword 
with  which  He  kills  all  envy  and  strife.  It  is  a 
magic  wand  with  which  He  transforms  sworn  foes 
into  bosom  friends. 

17.  he  .  .  .  preached   peace  .  .  .  peace. 

The  repetition  has  rhetorical  force.  Christ  makes 
peace  (ver.  15),  indeed  He  is  our  peace  (ver.  14), 
before  He  preaches  peace.  he  came  and 
preached.  When.^  After  His  death  and  resur- 
rection, in  the  might  of  His  Spirit,  through  the 
ministiy  of  His  apostles  and  prophets.  Thus  He 
reached  the  Gentiles  who  were  far  off.  And  by 
such  means  He  is  preaching  still.  Every  true 
evangelist  is  an  organ-pipe  filled  with  the  breath 
of  His  Spirit. 

18.  our  access  to  the  Father.  Only  the 
pure  and  holy  can  enjoy  God's  fellowship.  Such  is 
Christ,  and  such  are  we  who  are  identified  with 
Him  by  faith.  We  have  the  freedom  of  children 
in  our  Father's  house  and  presence. 

19-  the  household  of  God.  This  translation 
retains  the  idea  of  a  house,  but  is  apt  to  suggest 
"  servants,"  which  is  not  the  thought.  The  family 
(consisting  of  children)  is  the  real  meaning.     There 


126  Westminster  New  Testament 

is  not  only  a  City  of  God,  in  which  we  who  were 
strangers  and  foreigners  are  now  fellow-citizens 
with  the  saints,  enjoying  the  full  freedom  of  the 
City,  but  a  Family  of  God,  in  which  we  who  were 
wayward  and  wandering  children  are  now  at  home 
with  our  Father,  with  never  a  thought  of  quitting 
His  presence  again. 

20.  the  foundation.  This  may  mean  the 
foundation  laid  by  apostles  and  prophets,  or  the 
foundation  which  consists  of  apostles  and  prophets. 
The  second  is  the  likelier  meaning,  though  else- 
where Christ  Himself  is  emphatically  called  the 
one  foundation  (1  Cor.  iii.  11).  The  Church  is 
based  on  the  faith  of  Christians  and  the  Godhead 
of  Christ  (see  Matt.  xvi.  18).  He  is  here  called 
the  chief  corner  stone,  which  in  ancient  archi- 
tecture was  regarded  as  more  important  than  the 
foundation  (cf  1  Pet.  ii.  6).  prophets  are  of 
course  N.T.  prophets,  men  inspired  and  enthused 
by  the  new  Evangel,  not  fore-tellers  but  forth- 
tellers  of  God's  message  to  a  redeemed  world. 

21,  22.  each  several  building.  We  have  to 
imagine  "  an  extensive  pile  of  buildings  in  process 
of  construction  at  different  points  on  a  common 
plan.  The  several  parts  are  adjusted  to  each  other 
so  as  to  preserve  the  unity  of  design"  (Abbott). 
The  whole  grows  into  a  symmetrically  beautiful 
sanctuary.  There  are  many  churches,  and  yet  one 
Church,  which  is  the  habitation  of  God  in  the 
Spirit.  The  Christian  Jew  who  is  so  fascinated 
by  this  splendid  conception  has  forgotten  the  old 
Temple  on  Mount  Sion,  because  he  sees  a  new  and 
infinitely  more  spacious  one  rising  in  the  Lord, 
resplendent  with  all  the  might  and  majesty  of  the 
risen  and  exalted  Redeemer. 


Ephesians  iii.  1-13  127 

Eph.  iii.  1-13. 
PAUL'S  MISSION  TO  THE  GENTILES. 

For  this  cause  I  Paul,  the  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ  for  you 

2  Gentiles,  if  ye  have   heard  of  the  dispensation  of  the  grace 

3  of  God  which  is  given  me  to  you-ward  :  how  that  by 
revelation  he  made  known  unto  me  the  mystery  ;  (as  I  wrote 

4  afore  in  few  words,  whereby,  when  ye  read,  ye  may  under- 

5  stand  my  knowledge  in  the  mystery  of  Christ)  which  in 
other  ages  was  not  made  known  unto  the  sons  of  men,  as 
it  is  now  revealed  unto  his  holy  apostles  and  prophets  by 

6  the  Spirit ;  that  the  Gentiles  should  be  fellowheirs,  and  of 
the  same  body,  and  partakers  of  his  promise  in  Christ  by  the 

7  gospel :  whereof  I  was  made  a  minister,  according  to  the 
gift  of  the  grace  of  God  given  unto  me  by  the  effectual 

8  working  of  his  power.  Unto  me,  who  am  less  than  the 
least  of  all  saints,  is  this  grace  given,  that  I  should  preach 

9  among  the  Gentiles  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ;  and 
to  make  all  men  see  what  is  the  fellowship  of  the  mystery, 
which  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  hath  been  hid  in 

10  God,  who  created  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ :  to  the  in- 
tent that  now  unto  the  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly 
places  might  be  known  by  the  church  the  manifold  wisdom 

11  of  God,  according   to  the  eternal  purpose  which  he  pur- 

12  posed  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord  :  in  whom  we  have  boldness 

13  and  access  with  confidence  by  the  faith  of  him.  Wherefore 
I  desire  that  ye  faint  not  at  my  tribulations  for  you,  which 
is  your  glory. 

This  paragraph  is  a  digression.  Paul  goes  off  at 
a  tangent,  and  does  not  return  to  his  starting-point 
till  ver.  14.  A  reference  to  his  imprisonment  on 
behalf  of  the  Gentiles  prompts  him  to  enlarge  on 
the  commission  which  he  has  received  to  declare  to 
all  men  the  Divine  Secret,  long  hidden  but  now 


128  Westminster  New  Testament 

revealed,  that  the  Gentiles  are  fellow-heirs  with  the 
Jews,  fellow-partakers  with  them  of  all  spiritual 
privileges.  The  passage  is  intensely  interesting  as  a 
reflection  of  Paul's  self-consciousness,  which  com- 
bines an  almost  abject  lowliness  with  an  amazing 
loftiness  of  spirit.  He  is  less  than  the  least  of  all 
saints,  and  yet  it  is  given  to  him  to  illuminate  by 
his  mission  and  teaching  not  only  the  nations  of 
this  world  but  the  highest  created  intelligences  in 
heavenly  places. 

1.  I  Paul.  We  have  already  come  upon  this 
formula  in  Col.  i.  23  ;  Philem.  19.  A  man  may  repeat 
"I  "  very  often  without  being  in  the  least  egoistic, 
if  he  is  all  the  while  saying,  "  I  live,  and  yet  not  I, 

but  Christ  liveth  in  me."    the  prisoner  of  Jesus 

Christ.  This  designation  is  used,  with  variations, 
four  times  in  the  Pauline  epistles.  It  is  thus  that 
Nero's  prisoner  prefers  to  regard  and  name  himself. 
He  is  suffering  for  Christ's  cause  ;  his  Master  has 
brought  him  to  a  Roman  prison.  So  Rutherford 
used  to  sign  himself  ^^  Christ's  prisoner  in  Aber- 
deen." So  Luther  was  His  prisoner  in  the  Wartburg, 
Bunyan  in  Bedford.  The  whole  world  of  letters 
as  well  as  the  Church  has  reason  to  thank  Him  for 
selecting  such  men  as  His  prisoners.  When  the 
prison  doors  closed  upon  them,  Heaven  opened. 

2.  Here  the  construction  is  broken.  Paul  is 
beginning  a  prayer  (see  ver.  14),  when  the  word 
''  Gentiles  "  suggests  to  him  his  great  commission, 
and  he  must  needs  speak  of  it.  if  ye  have  heard. 
Paul  eould  not  have  addressed  such  words  to  a 
church  with  which  he  was  familiar.  See  Introduc- 
tion, p.  14.  the  dispensation  (see  i.  10).  Paul  is 
the  steward  in  God's  House,  the  dispenser  of  His 
grace   to   all   the    Gentiles,     that   grace    of  God 


Ephesians  iii.  1-13  129 

(so  R.V.)  was  given  him  not  for  his  own  sake,  but 
for  the  whole  world. 

3,  4.  by  revelation.  A  phrase  of  frequent 
occurrence  in  Paul's  epistles  (see  Gal.  i.  12,  ii.  2). 
He  claims  to  be  an  inspired  man,  to  whom  Divine 
secrets  have  been  supernaturally  disclosed.  His 
doctrine  is  not  the  product  of  other  men's  best 
teaching  or  of  his  own  strenuous  thinking,  but 
of  God's  direct  communications  to  him  (Gal. 
i.  15,  i6).  the  mystery  .  .  .  the  mystery  of 
Christ,  which  .  .  .  hath  now  been  revealed. 
It  is  God's  love  of  the  Gentiles,  resulting  in  their 
admission  to  His  favour  on  equal  terms  with  the 
Jews,  that  is  so  named.  To  us  this  is  a  common- 
place, but  to  Paul  it  was  as  startling  as  the 
discovery  of  a  new  world.  aS  I  wrote  afore. 
Better,  ^^as  I  have  already  written  above." 

5.  his  holy  apostles  and  prophets  (cf.  ii. 
20).  This  clause  forms  one  of  the  common  argu- 
ments against  the  Pauline  authorship  of  the 
epistle.  The  author,  it  is  said,  could  never  have 
talked  of  the  "  holy  apostles  "  if  he  had  been  one  of 
them  himself;  the  phrase  betrays  the  conditions 
of  a  later  age  ;  it  has  already  a  Catholic  flavour. 
But  in  point  of  fact  Paul  habitually  calls  all  Chris- 
tian saints  (or  holy),  and  frequently  uses  the  word 
when  he  is  personally  included.  He  would  not  in 
the  least  object  to  our  saying  "St.  Paul  "  if  only 
we  would  say  "  St.  John  Brown "  and  "  St.  Peter 
Jones."  It  is  not  a  question  of  man's  holiness, 
but  of  God's  hallowing.  To  speak  of  oneself  as 
"  consecrated  "  is  to  claim  no  merit,  for  consecration 
(except  when  we  abuse  the  word)  is  a  Divine,  not 
a  human  act. 

6.  fellow-heirs.    The  word  "fellow"  is   thrice 


I30  Westminster  New  Testament 

used  in  the  verse  (R.V.).  Paul  rejoices  in  the 
thought  of  the  goodly  fellowship^  still  so  novel  and 
so  strange^  of  Jews  and  Gentiles.  They  are  all  heirs 
of  the  same  kingdom,  members  of  the  same  body, 
partakers  of  the  same  promise  in  Christ  JesUS. 

7.  I  ...  a  minister.  This  thought  always 
moved  Paul  to  adoring  wonder.  The  ministry 
came  to  him  by  the  gift  of  the  grace  of  God. 
His  natural  endowments,  his  home  privileges,  his 
college  education,  and  especially  his  conversion, 
contributed  to  the  result.  But  it  was  a  Divine 
call  over  and  above  all  this  that  made  him  a 
minister.  It  was  the  working  of  the  power  of 
God  within  him.  One  remembers  the  advice  of 
a  great  preacher  to  young  men  not  to  become 
ministers  if  they  can  help  it !  If  they  are  once 
thrilled  by  the  touch  of  that  Divine  Power  they 
cannot  help  it.  They  bow  to  their  fate.  Woe  to 
them  if  they  preach  not,  rapture  if  they  do  ! 

8.  less-than-the-least.  It  is  all  one  word  in 
Greek,  a  word  Avhich  none  but  Paul  could  have 
coined,  in  which  the  comparative  degree  is  piled 
on  the  top  of  the  superlative.  Never  was  a  man 
more  conscious  of  personal  un worthiness  than  Paul. 
He  would  have  cheerfully  accepted  Renan's  de- 
scription of  him  as  "an  ugly  little  Jew,"  only  it  was 
his  moral  rather  than  his  physical  ugliness  that 
troubled  him.  And  yet  unto  me  was  this 
grace  given!  Compare  David's  words,  "What 
am  I  .  .  .  that  Thou  hast  brought  me  hitherto.?" 
the  unsearchable  riches.  Never  till  we  come 
to  the  Pastorals  do  we  find  the  word  "riches" 
used  in  the  sense  of  material  wealth.  Paul 
delights  to  think  of  his  spiritual  treasures.  He 
is  "  poor  yet  making  many  rich,"  for  he  possesses. 


Ephesians  iii.  1-13  131 

and  shares  with  others^  all  the  wealth  of  Christ, 
which  is  unsearchable  (cf.  1  Cor.  iii.  21). 

9.  to  make  all  men  see.  Lit.,  to  clear  up,  or 

bring  to  light  (cf.  2  Tim  i.  10).  Paul  is  calmly 
conscious  that  his  preaching  to  the  Gentiles 
is  the  greatest  clearing  up  of  ideas — Aiifkl'dning, 
as  the  Germans  say — that  the  world  has  ever 
seen.  It  is  the  disclosing  of  the  Divine  Secret 
of  the  ages.  No  wonder  Paul  was  amazed  that 
he  should  be  the  chosen  medium  of  this  vast 
illumination. 

10.  known  through  the  church.  There  is  also 
an  enlightenment  in  heaven  !  The  highest  created 
spirits — principalities  and  powers — are  not  perfect 
in  knowledge ;  God  has  many  things  still  to  teach 
them ;  and  now  their  time  of  revelation  is  come. 
They  are  to  complete  their  education  by  the  study  of 
things  on  earth.  The  Church — the  whole  company 
of  beUevers — is  to  instruct  these  students  of  heaven. 
She  knows  better  than  they  can  the  manifold  (or 
many-coloured)  wisdom  of  God.  She  can  teach 
them  what  she  has  learned  by  sinning,  suifering, 
and  being  saved.  In  her  as  in  a  mirror  they  will 
see  reflections  of  Divine  attributes  more  brilliant 
and  wonderful  than  they  have  ever  yet  beheld. 
These  are  things  which  "  the  angels  desire  to  look 
into"  (1  Pet.  i.  12).  From  all  this  we  learn  that 
our  little  planet,  with  its  enthralling  spiritual 
drama,  is  immensurably  greater  in  Heaven's  sight 
than  whole  solar  systems.  Bigness  is  not  great- 
ness ;  mind  is  the  measure  of  all  things. 

12.  boldness  and  access.  In  this  verse  Paul 
comes  quietly  back  to  earth,  and  feels  again  for 
the  common  chord.  Apart  from  Christ  we  have 
no  confidence  in  prayer,  unless  we  are  fools  who 


132  Westminster  New  Testament 

rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread.  But  in  Christ 
we  use  the  boldness  and  freedom  of  children  who 
know  that  they  have  the  run  of  their  father's 
house.  As  another  apostle  says,  "  Perfect  love 
casteth  out  fear." 

13.  my  tribulations  .  .  .  your  glory.  The 
prisoner  bids  his  readers  not  pity  his  sufferings  too 
much,  even  if  endured  for  their  sake.  Looked 
at  in  another  light,  they  will  all  be  trans- 
figured. Seen  as  God  beholds  them,  they  are 
experiences  to  glory  in.  Faith  sees  the  martyr's 
aureole  round  his  head,  his  crown  of  glory  that 
fadeth  not  away. 

Eph.  iii.  14-21. 
THE  LOVE  WHICH   PASSETH  KNOWLEDGE. 

14  For  this  cause  I  bow  my  knees  unto  the  Father  of  our 

15  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  of  whom  the  whole  family  in  heaven 

16  and  earth  is  named,  that  he  would  grant  you,  according  to 
the  riches  of  his  glory,  to  be  strengthened  with  might  by 

17  his  Spirit  in  the  inner  man  ;  that  Christ  may  dwell  in  your 
hearts  by  faith  ;  that  ye,  being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love, 

18  may  be  able  to  comprehend  with  all   saints  what  is  the 

19  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and  height ;  and  to  know 
the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth  knowledge,  that  ye  might 

20  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God.  Now  unto  him  that 
is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask 

21  or  think,  according  to  the  power  that  worketh  in  us,  unto 
him  be  glory  in  the  church  by  Christ  Jesus  throughout  all 
ages,  world  without  end.     Amen. 

This  is  the  noblest  of  all  the  recorded  prayers  of 
St.  Paul,  leading  up  to  one  of  his  grandest  dox- 
ologies.  The  power  of  the  Spirit,  the  indwelling 
of  Christ,  the  knowledge  of  His  love,  the  fulness 


Ephesians  iii.  14-21  133 

of  God — these  are  the  blessings  which  he  asks  for 
his  readers.  And  then  he  gives  glory  to  God  who 
can  do  infinitely  more  than  he  or  they  can  either 
ask  or  think ! 

14.  I  bow  my  knees.  His  boldness  and  con- 
fidence (ver.  12)  do  not  detract  from  his  profound 
reverence.  Standing  was  the  usual  Jewish  posture 
in  prayer  (Mark  xi.  25),  kneeling  was  expressive  of 
unusual  emotion. 

1 5.  every  family.  The  Greek  word  for  "family  " 
(^patria)  comes  from  the  one  for  "father"  (pater). 
Paul's  meaning  is  that  not  only  the  Holy  Family 
in  Heaven,  but  each  family  on  earth,  is  in  the 
closest  connection  with  the  Eternal  Father,  as 
the  very  name  indicates.  Divine  Fatherhood  is 
not  a  figure  of  speech,  but  an  eternal  reality 
mirrored  in  the  most  common  and  at  the  same 
time  most  sacred  of  human  relationships. 

16.  riches  of  his  glory.  We  may  well  pray  for 
great  blessings  when  we  think  of  the  wealth  of  Him 
to  whom  we  pray.  "  None  can  ever  ask  too  much." 
power  through  his  Spirit.  The  Christian  is  at 
once  a  weak  man,  who  even  glories  in  his  weakness 
(2  Cor.  xii.  5,  9)j  and  a  strong,  brave,  victorious 
man,  who  is  filled  and  thrilled  by  the  might  of 
the  Divine  Spirit  (Acts  i.  8). 

17.  Christ  ...  in  your  hearts.  It  is  not  a 
memory,  an  influence,  a  doctrine,  but  the  living 
Christ  that  dwells  in  the  believer's  heart  (cf.  Gal. 
ii.  20  ;  Col.  i.  27).  Paul  is  the  greatest  and  the 
sanest  of  mystics.  Reason,  conscience,  imagination, 
heart,  and  will  are  all  infinitely  strengthened  by  the 
immanence  of  the  risen  Saviour.  His  real  presence 
is  conditioned  by  faith  ;  it  is  not  magical  but 
spiritual,     rooted  and  grounded.  Here  are  two 


134  Westminster  New  Testament 

figures.  The  Christian  life  is  a  growth,  with  love 
as  the  soil ;  and  a  structure,  with  love  as  the 
foundation.  Love  is  not  further  defined,  but  pro- 
bably it  is  here  both  Divine  and  human,  the 
second  emanating  from  the  first.  As  love  is 
God's  first  attribute,  it  must  be  the  radical  or 
basal  principle  of  the  whole  Christian  character. 

18.  able  to  comprehend.  Or,  ^^  strong  to  appre- 
hend." One  needs  to  have  a  strong  soul,  keen  in 
spiritual  intelligence,  to  grasp  the  fact  about  to 
be  mentioned.  The  passionate  longing  for  real 
knowledge  is  characteristic  of  the  Prison  letters. 
The  four  dimensions  of  the  thing  to  be  appre- 
hended need  not  be  too  laboriously  defined — broad 
as  the  world,  long  as  eternity,  high  as  heaven,  deep 
as  hell.  They  indicate  in  general  its  vastness. 
But  what  is  this  thing,  which  Paul  seems  to  forget 
to  specify.^  Probably  love,  which  he  has  just 
mentioned  in  the  previous  verse,  and  is  about  to 
name  again  in  the  next.  What  raises  him  to  such 
a  pitch  of  wonder  is  the  "huge  tenderness"  of 
the  love  of  Christ. 

19.  know  .  .  .  passeth  knowledge.  Though 

this  love  is  so  broad  and  deep  and  glorious,  we 
may  know  it  with  the  intuition  of  the  spiritually 
renewed  mind.  Every  Christian  has  a  real  and 
growing  knowledge  of  Christ's  love.  And  yet  we 
do  not,  we  cannot  know  it.  "  God  only  knows  the 
love  of  God."  It  eternally  invites,  and  eternally 
eludes,  our  efforts  to  grasp  and  to  measure  it.  It 
satisfies  us  just  because  it  is  transcendent,  infinite. 
"  Such  knowledge  is  too  wonderful  for  me,  it  is 
high,  I  cannot  attain  unto  it."  filled  with  all 
the  fulness  of  God.  This  means  filled  with  God 
in  all  His  fulness.     Emptied  of  ourselves,  we  are 


Ephesians  iv.  1-16  135 

filled  up  to  the  measure  of  our  faith  with  His 
wisdom,  love,  and  power.  Some  of  His  saints  have 
been  called  God-intoxicated  men. 

20.  exceeding  abundantly.  Another  of  the 
superlatives  in  which  Paul  took  such  delight.  He 
minted  not  a  few  of  them  as  a  means  of  circulating 
his  own  stupendous  thoughts.  God  is  able  to  do 
all  that  we  ask,  above  all  that  we  ask,  abundantly 
above  all  that  we  ask,  exceeding  abundantly  above 
all  that  we  ask,  exceeding  abundantly  above  all 
that  we  ask  or  think !  Nothing  is  beyond  the 
power  which  worketh  not  only  for  us  but 
in  us,  enlarging  our  capacities  to  receive  all 
that  God  has  to  give.  No  wonder  that  the 
apostle  bursts  into  a  fervent  doxology,  "To  Him 
be  glory  in  the  Church  and  in  Christ  Jesus  for 
ever ! " 


Eph.  iv.  1-16. 

DIVERSITY  OF  GIFTS,  UNITY  OF  SPIRIT. 

I  therefore^  the  prisoner  of  the   Lord,  beseech  you  that 
ye  walk  worthy  of  the  vocation  wherewith  ye  are  called, 

2  with  all  lowliness  and  meekness,  with  longsuffering,  for- 

3  bearing  one  another  in  love  ;    endeavouring  to  keep  the 

4  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace.     There  is  one 
body,  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  ye  are  called  in  one  hope 

5  of    your    calling ;    one    Lord,    one    faith,    one    baptism, 

6  one  God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all,  and  through 

7  all,  and  in  you  all.     But  unto  every  one  of  us  is  given 
grace    according   to   the    measure   of  the   gift   of  Christ. 

8  Wherefore   he   saith,    H^hen  he  ascended  up  on  high,   he 

9  led  captivity   captive,    and  gave  gifts    unto  inen.     (Now 
that  he  ascended,  what  is  it  but  that  he  also  descended 

10  first  into  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth  ?     He  that  descended 


136  Westminster  New  Testament 

is  the  same  also  that  ascended  up  far  above  all  heavens, 

1 1  that  he  might  fill  all  things. )  And  he  gave  some, 
apostles ;    and   some,    prophets ;    and   some,    evangelists ; 

12  and  some,  pastors  and  teachers;  for  the  perfecting  of  the 
saints,  for  the  vv^ork  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  of 

13  the  body  of  Christ :  till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the 
faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a 
perfect  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness 

14  of  Christ :  that  we  henceforth  be  no  more  children,  tossed 
to  and  fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine, 
by  the  sleight  of  men,   and  cunning  craftiness,   whereby 

15  they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive ;  but  speaking  the  truth  in  love, 
may  grow  up  into  him  in  all  things,  which  is  the  head, 

16  even  Christ :  from  whom  the  whole  body  fitly  joined 
together  and  compacted  by  that  which  every  joint 
supplieth,  according  to  the  effectual  working  in  the 
measure  of  every  part,  maketh  increase  of  the  body  unto 
the  edifying  of  itself  in  love. 

Here  we  pass  from  Divine  truths  and  principles 
to  their  application.  No  Christian  doctrine  has 
merely  a  theoretical  interest.  There  is  no  such 
thing  as  an  abstract  and  otiose  faith.  Creed  and 
conduct,  doctrine  and  duty,  faith  and  fidelity  are 
causally  related  like  tree  and  fruit,  fountain  and 
stream.  After  a  general  exhortation  to  conduct 
worthy  of  the  Christian  vocation,  Paul  gives 
perfect  expression  to  his  doctrine  of  the  essential 
unity  of  the  Church,  as  the  one  body  of  Christ, 
animated  by  one  Spirit,  baptized  in  the  name  of 
one  Lord,  loving  one  Father  in  heaven,  supplied 
with  a  rich  variety  of  gifts  for  one  great  purpose — 
the  evolving  of  a  Christlike  manhood  in  every 
individual  believer.  It  is  the  most  remarkable 
utterance  regarding  the  universal  Church  to  be 
found  in  the  whole  N.T. 


Ephesians  iv.  1-16  137 

1.  I  therefore.  For  similar  transitions  from 
teaching  to  exhortation  see  Rom.  xii.  1  ;  Col.  iii.  5. 
the  prisoner.  There  is  a  quiet  dignity  in  the 
words.  The  writer's  imprisonment  does  not  im- 
pair^ but  greatly  enhances^  his  authority.  That 
very  fidelity  to  principle  which  has  brought  him 
so  low  has  exalted  him  more  than  ever  in  the  eyes 
of  all  the  churches.  tO  walk  worthily.  Compare 
Christ's  repeated  phrase  ^^ worthy  of  Me"  (Matt. 
X.  37,  38).  This  epistle  contains  six  emphatic 
references  to  the  Christian  walk.  We  have  been 
created  in  Christ  Jesus  for  it  (ii.  10);  it  should  be 
in  keeping  with  our  vocation  (iv.  1);  it  must  be 
altogether  different  from  that  of  non-Christians 
(iv.  17);  it  is  to  be  Christlike  (v.  1-2),  transparent 
(v.  8),  and  circumspect  (v.  15). 

2,  3.  lowliness  .  .  .  peace.  This  garland  of 
graces  adorns  every  true  Christian.  He  is 
lowly,  meek,  patient,  forbearing,  loving,  peaceful. 
Ideally,  of  course,  no  human  walk  is  perfectly 
worthy  of  the  gospel.  The  Christian  life  is  one 
of  endeavouring  here  and  attaining  hereafter. 
the  unity  of  the  Spirit.  A  wonderful  phrase, 
describing  a  unity  not  based  on  self-interest,  not 
dictated  by  policy,  not  ratified  by  contract ;  the 
sacred  unity  of  men  diverse  in  views,  tempera- 
ments, and  inclinations,  but  all  animated,  controlled, 
and  subdued  by  one  and  the  same  Spirit,  peace 
is  the  bond  in  which  this  unity  is  to  be 
maintained.  Not  peace  at  any  price,  but  peace 
with  honour  to  God. 

4-6.  one  body  .  .  .  one  God  and  Father. 
"One"  is  impressively  used  seven  times.  The  unity 
of  the  Church  is  established  by  six  other  great 
unities.     There  is  one  mystical  body  animated  by 


138  Westminster  New  Testament 

one  Spirit,  cheered  by  one  Hope,  saved  by  one 
Faith,  ruled  by  one  Lord,  purified  by  one 
Baptism,  loved  by  one  Father.  There  may 
be  many  changing  conceptions  of  each  of  these 
realities,  but  there  must  be  one  abiding  truth,  and 
the  nearer  we  come  to  it  in  thought  and  life,  the 
more  complete  must  be  our  Christian  unity.  God 
.  .  .  over  all  .  .  .  through  all  .  .  .  in  all. 
The  first  expresses  His  transcendence,  the  second 
and  third  His  immanence.  God  is  the  infinite 
Spirit, 

' '  that  impels 

All  living  things,  all  objects  of  all  thought, 

And  rolls  through  all  things." 

7,  8.  gifts  unto  men.  The  unity  of  the  Church 
is  a  unity  in  diversity.  There  is  no  more  monotony 
in  the  realm  of  Grace  than  in  that  of  Nature. 
When  Christ  rose  and  ascended.  He  was  a  return- 
ing Conqueror,  laden  with  spoils,  which  He  at  once 
began  to  distribute  to  His  Church.  This  He  did, 
not  indiscriminately,  but  wisely  and  carefully. 
He  gave  gifts  unto  men,  and  His  gifts  were  men. 
The  Church's  true  wealth,  like  the  nation's,  is  not 
its  silver  and  gold,  but  its  noble  human  lives,  he 
Saith.  Better,  "it  is  said,"  ''on  dit."  Some  think 
that  "  God  "  or  '^the  Scripture"  is  to  be  understood. 
The  quotation  is  from  Ps.  Ixviii.  18,  but  "received 
gifts  among  men  "  is  changed  into  "  given  gifts  unto 
men."  "  St.  Paul  does  not  intend  either  to  quote 
exactly  or  to  interpret,  but  in  the  familiar  Jewish 
fashion  adapts  his  passage  to  his  own  use,  knowing 
that  those  of  his  readers  who  are  familiar  with  the 
psalm  would  recognise  the  alteration  and  see  the 
purpose  of  it "  (Abbott). 

9.  ascended  .  .  .  descended.    The  doctrines 


Ephesians  iv.  1-16  139 

of  Christ's  pre-existence  and  incarnation  are  clearly 
implied  here.  Some  indeed  think  that  "  descended 
into  the  lower  part  of  the  earth  "  means  "  descended 
into  Hades."  But  the  more  probable  meaning 
is  "came  down  to  this  lower  earth."  "The 
doctrine  of  a  Hades-visit  and  a  Hades-ministry 
has  no  obvious  relation"  to  the  matter  under 
discussion  (Salmond). 

10.  above  all  the  heaven.  An  allusion  to  the 
"seven  heavens"  of  the  Jews.  Christ  is  above 
the  seventh.  The  Son  of  the  Highest  takes  the 
highest  station.  His  presence  is  the  glory  of  the 
"ninth  heaven"  of  Dante's  Paradiso.  fill  all 
things  (cf.  i.  23).  He  who  has  ascended  up  on 
high  pervades  and  energises  all  things  with  His 
activity. 

11.  he     gave     apostles    .    .    .    teachers. 

Parents  give  their  sons  to  the  ministry^  their 
daughters  to  the  mission  field,  but  it  is  Christ  who 
first  gives  them,  as  His  best  gifts  to  His  Church. 
apostles.  The  word  was  not  limited  to  the 
Twelve,    but    applied    to    Paul,    Barnabas,    James, 

and  others,    prophets.  See  ii.  20.    pastors  and 

teachers  were  not  itinerant  but  settled  ministers, 
having  the  double  function  of  shepherding  and 
instructing  a  local  church.  One  man  was  a 
pastor-teacher. 

12.  for  the  perfecting.  Christ  gives  gifts 
unto  men  for  the  perfecting  (or  full  equipment) 
of  the  saints  unto  the  work  of  ministering  with  a 
view  to  the  building  up  of  His  body.  The  clauses 
are  not  co-ordinate  as  in  the  A.V.,  but  each 
dependent  on  the  one  preceding.  Talents  are 
for  equipment,  equipment  for  ministering,  and 
ministering   for   the    building  up   of  the    Church. 


I40  Westminster  New  Testament 

The  passage  contains  no  suggestion  of  a  ministerial 
"  order."  Every  believer  is^  in  the  primitive  sense 
of  the  word — the  sense  intended  here — a  minister 
of  Christ. 

13.  we  all  attain.  Here  is  a  twofold  ideal. 
(1)  unity  through  faith  and  full  knowledge.  The 
causes  of  division  are  imperfect  faith  and  imperfect 
knowledge.  The  more  firmly  we  believe  in  Christ 
and  the  more  definitely  we  know  Him^  the  more 
close  do  we  draw  to  each  other.  (2)  The  perfect 
manhood  of  all  believers.  Christ  has  no  favourites. 
He  perfects  (fully  equips)  some  for  the  perfecting 
(full  growth)  of  all.  There  is  something  splendidly 
Pauline^  both  in  conception  and  expression^  in  the 
synonym  given  here  for  perfection — "  the  measure 
of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ."  If  this 
is  the  Christian  ideal,  it  is  not  presumptuous  to 
say  to  any  believer,  ^^Be  Christlike."  it  is  only 
summoning  him  to  fulfil  his  destiny. 

14.  no  longer  children.  Suggested  by  "  full- 
grown"  in  the  previous  verse.  The  ^'^  perfect 
man"  remains  for  ever  childlike,  but  has  long 
ceased  to  be  childish.  And  he  is  no  more  tOSSed 
to  and  fro  on  waves  of  doubt  and  error  (cf;  Jas.  i.  6). 
sleight  .  .  .  craftiness  .  .  .  wiles.  This  ex- 
presses Paul's  opinion  of  the  teaching  of  some  of 
his  contemporaries,  inside  as  well  as  outside  the 
Church.  It  seems  to  him  quite  insincere,  reminding 
him  of  clever  conjuring,  skilful  throwing  of  dice, 
sharp  practice  generally.  It  finds  an  easy  prey 
among  those  who  are  still  children,  simple  and 
inexperienced. 

15.  speaking  the  truth.  Better,  ^^  cherishing 
truth,"  i.e.  Divine  evangelical  truth.  This  is  to 
be    done   in  love,    for    the    highest    truth   loses 


Ephesians  iv.  17-24  141 

all  its  sweetness  for  ourselves  and  all  its  power 
over  others  if  it  is  not  lodged  in  a  loving  heart. 
grow  up  .  .  .  into  him.  This  is  the  language 
of  biology,  Christ  is  not  merely  an  outward 
Example  given  us  for  imitation ;  He  is  the  Type 
to  which  the  new  life  within  us  is  to  conform. 
As  the  acorn  mysteriously  grows  up  into  the  oak^ 
conforming  to  its  type,  so  the  believer  grows  up 
into  Christ.  Before  the  new  birth  such  growth  is 
impossible ;  after,  it  is  natural  and  one  might 
say  inevitable. 

16.  Christ  ...  all  the  body.  Another  figura- 
tive statement  of  the  dependence  of  the  Church 
universal,  as  Christ's  spiritual  Body,  upon  Him  as 
its  Head.  The  vital  and  organic  relation  of  the 
members,  first  to  their  Head,  and  then  to  each 
other,  is  the  secret  of  the  Body's  continual  growth 
in  the  life-giving  element  of  love. 


Eph.  iv.  17-24. 
LEARNING  CHRIST. 

17  This   I   say  therefore,   and   testify  in   the   Lord,    that   ye 
henceforth  walk  not  as  other  Gentiles  walk,  in  the  vanity 

18  of  their  mind,  having  the  understanding  darkened,  being 
alienated  from  the  life  of  God  through  the  ignorance  that 

19  is  in  them,  because  of  the  blindness  of  their  heart :  who 
being  past  feeling  have  given  themselves  over  unto  lascivi- 

20  ousness,  to  work  all  uncleanness  with  greediness.     But  ye 

21  have  not  so  learned  Christ ;  if  so  be  that  ye  have  heard 
him,    and    have   been    taught   by   him,    as   the    truth    is 

22  in   Jesus :   that   ye   put   off    concerning   the   former   con- 
versation the  old  man,  which  is  corrupt  according  to  the 

23  deceitful  lusts ;  and  be  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  your  mind  ; 


142  Westminster  New  Testament 

24  and   that  ye  put  on   the   new  man,   which  after  God   is 
created  in  righteousness  and  true  hoHness. 

This  is  one  of  many  Pauline  passages  which 
bring  the  old  and  false  life  into  sharp  contrast 
with  the  new  and  true.  The  marks  of  the  one 
are  vanity,  darkness,  alienation,  ignorance,  heart- 
hardening,  insensibility,  licentiousness,  unclean- 
ness,  greediness,  corruption,  lust,  deceit.  The 
marks  of  the  other  are  truth,  righteousness, 
holiness  (cf.  Gal.  v.  19-23). 

17.  I  testify  ...  in  the  Lord.  Paul  makes 
an  appeal  to  his  readers,  the  power  of  which 
lies  in  the  boldness  with  which  he  identifies  him- 
self with  Christ  and  speaks  in  His  name,     walk 

no  longer  as  the  Gentiles.  Paul  might  have 
exhorted  his  readers  not  to  walk  like  the  other 
Gentiles,  but  his  view  is  that  they  have  entirely 
ceased  to  be  Gentiles.  Formerly  they  were 
Gentiles  in  contrast  with  the  Jews  ;  now  they  are 
Christians  in  contrast  with  the  Gentiles.  The 
word  "  Gentiles "  had  almost  the  same  taint  or 
stigma  as  "heathen." 

18.  the  life  of  God.  This  is  also  man's  true 
life.  The  moral  and  spiritual  life  to  which  we  are 
called  is  not  arbitrarily  imposed  upon  us  as  the 
mere  will  of  God ;  it  is  commended  to  us  as  the 
very  life  of  God,  which  He  personally  lives.  And 
the  real  human  tragedy  is  that  we  are  alienated 
from  this  life  through  our  ignorance,  and  that 
our  very  ignorance  is  not  innocent.  We  pity  the 
sorrows  of  humanity — a  refined  form  of  self-pity ; 
but  the  ultimate  truth  is  that  humanity  has 
hardened  its  heart  until  its  light  has  become 
darkness.     Hardening  implies  guilt,  and  humanity 


Ephesians  iv.  17-24  143 

behaves  itself  as  guilty.  It  has  an  uneasy 
conscience ;  it  cannot  hide  its  sense  of  shame ; 
whenever  it  pauses  to  recollect  itself,  it  trembles 
as  a  guilty  thing  surprised. 

19.  gave  themselves  up  (contrast  Rom.  i.  24>, 
26,  28).  Here  the  abandonment  is  ascribed  to  their 
own  will:  ^^ They  gave  themselves  up."  A  Divine 
reaction  is  necessitated  by  the  human  choice.  If  we 
deliberately  make  evil  our  good.  His  love  is 
thwarted.  If  He  cannot  persuade  us,  He  will 
not  compel  us.  But  does  He  ever  cease  to  say, 
*^How  shall  I  give  thee  up.^"  (Hos.  xi.  8). 

20.  ye  did  not  so  learn  Christ.  An  extreme 
understatement  (called  in  rhetoric  a  litotes),  making 
the  reader  exclaim,  "  God  forbid  !  we  learned  Him 
in  exactly  the  opposite  way."  Learning  Christ  is 
much  more  than  learning  about  Him ;  it  means 
coming  to  know  Him  as  a  living  personal  Saviour 
and  Friend.  He  is  not  only  the  Teacher  but  the 
Truth ;  He  does  far  more  than  preach,  He  w,  the 
Gospel. 

21.  ye  heard  him.  Not  with  their  outward 
ears  did  they  (Gentiles)  ever  hear  the  Prophet  of 
Nazareth ;  but  in  the  depths  of  their  soul  they 
heard  the  risen  Christ  calling  them  to  arise  and 
follow  Him.  They  were  taught  in  him,  taught 
not  only  by  His  apostles  or  evangelists,  but  in  an 
experience  of  living  fellowship  with  Himself. 

22-24.  put  off  .  .  .  put  on.  The  knowledge 
of  Christ  always  makes  a  man  change  his  habits, 
which  means,  literally,  his  clothes ;  habits,  good 
or  bad,  being  the  garments  of  the  soul.  Here 
the  verbs  are  both  aorists,  indicating  two  sharp, 
decisive,  and  simultaneous  actions,  by  which  a  man 
casts  away  the  old  nature,  loathing  it  as  a  thing 


144  Westminster  New  Testament 

of  corruption,  and  eagerly  puts  on  the  soul's 
new  nature,  loving  its  perfect  purity.  lustS  of 
deceit  .  .  .  righteousness  of  truth.  Lusts  and 
lies  are  bosom  friends,  righteousness  and  truth  kiss 
each  other,  after  God  is  a  phrase  which  contains 
much  in  little.  The  new  man,  the  twice-born,  is 
created  in  harmony  with  God's  great  idea,  re- 
fashioned in  His  own  image,  in  righteousness 
and  holiness,  and  will  no  longer  disappoint 
his  Maker. 

Eph.  iv.  25-32. 

SINS  TO  BE  UPROOTED,  GRACES  TO  BE 
CULTIVATED. 

25  Wherefore  putting  away  lying,  speak  every  man  truth 
with  his  neighbour  :  for  we  are  members  one  of  another. 

26  Be   ye   angry,    and   sin   not :    let  not    the   sun  go   down 

27  upon    your    wrath :     neither    give    place    to    the    devil. 

28  Let  him  that  stole  steal  no  more  :  but  rather  let  him 
labour,  working  with  his  hands  the  thing  which  is  good, 

29  that  he  may  have  to  give  to  him  that  needeth.  Let  no 
corrupt  communication  proceed  out  of  your  mouth,  but 
that  which  is  good  to   the  use   of  edifying,  that  it  may 

30  minister  grace  unto  the  hearers.  And  grieve  not  the 
holy  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  ye  are  sealed  unto  the  day 

31  of  redemption.  Let  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and  anger, 
and  clamour,  and  evil  speaking,  be  put  away  from  you, 

32  with  all  malice  :  and  be  ye  kind  one  to  another,  tender- 
hearted, forgiving  one  another,  even  as  God  for  Christ's 
sake  hath  forgiven  you. 

Many  of  those  whom  Paul  was  addressing  were 
like  fresh  converts  in  some  modern  mission  field, 
raw  recruits  in  the  army  of  Christ,  with  everything 
still  to  learn.     They  must  be  warned  against  such 


Ephesians  iv.  25-32  145 

elementary  sins  as  lying,  bad  temper,  stealing, 
filthy  and  abusive  talk,  bitterness  and  malice. 
They  must  be  exhorted  to  be  truthful,  honest, 
diligent,  pure  in  speech,  meek  in  spirit,  kind  and 
forgiving  in  disposition. 

25.  lying  .  .  .  truth.  Untruthfulness  of  all 
sorts  seems  to  be  ingrained  in  the  Oriental 
character.  Paul  has  a  charm  which  can  exorcise 
the  lying  spirit.  My  neighbour  and  I  are  both 
members  of  the  body  of  Christ,  and  the  right 
hand  never  lies  to  the  left.  It  is  impossible  that 
I  should  deceive  the  man  whom  I  love  in  Christ. 

26,  27.  angry,  and  sin  not  (Ps.  iv.  4).  There 
are  times  when  anger  is  highly  virtuous,  and  he  is 
a  poor  creature,  neither  loving  good  nor  hating  evil 
greatly,  who  is  never  righteously  indignant.  But 
anger's  work  is  soon  done,  and  the  tide  of 
passionate  feeling  should  quickly  subside.  A  day 
of  it  is  usually  more  than  enough.  In  the  East 
the  new  day  began  at  sunset,  not  in  the  morning. 
The  advice,  therefore,  to  the  angry  man  is  not 
to  ^^  sleep  over  it,"  but  to  put  the  angry  feeling 
away  before  the  sun  goes  down.  Else  how  can 
he  pray,  "  Forgive  ...  as  we  have  forgiven "  ? 
To  brood  over  wrongs  is   to  be  mastered  by  the 

spirit  of  evil,  to  give  place  to  the  devil. 

28.  steal  no  more.  This  being  a  moral  law 
of  every  nation,  to  fall  below  the  world's  standard 
would  dishonour  the  name  of  Christ,  who  so  often 
asked  His  followers,  "What  do  ye  more  than 
others  }  "  working  ...  to  give.  The  anticipated 
pleasure  of  being  able  to  help  dear  friends  in  need 
is  one  of  the  strongest  incentives  to  labour. 

29.  corrupt  speech.  The  utterance  of  an 
impure  imagination.     To  have  clean  lips  we  must 


146  Westminster  New  Testament 

"stanch  the  spnng  of  guilty  thought."  The  grace 
of  God  withm  us  enables  us  so  to  speak  as  to  give 
grace  to  others. 

SO.  grieve  not  the  Spirit,  who  is  a  Person, 
the  most  sensitive  in  the  universe.  A  look,  a 
tone,  a  thought  may  grieve  Him,  and  before  we 
know  it  the  Spirit  of  joy  and  peace  is  gone,  and 
will  only  return  at  the  sight  of  our  tears. 

31,  32.  all  bitterness  .  .  .  malice.  Christi- 
anity charms  away  all  sins  of  temper.  It  constrains 
us  to  be  kind  .  .  .  forgiving.  The  Cross  that 
procures  our  pardon  makes  us  all  tender-hearted. 

"  In  the  course  of  justice  none  of  us 
Should  see  salvation  :  we  do  pray  for  mercy, 
And  that  same  prayer  doth  teach  us  all  to  render 
The  deeds  of  mercy." 


Eph.  V.  1-14. 
CHILDREN  OF  LIGHT. 

Be  ye    therefore    followers    of    God,   as   dear   children ; 

2  and  walk  in  love,  as  Christ  also  hath  loved  us,  and 
hath  given  himself  for  us  an  offering  and  a  sacrifice  to 

3  God  for  a  sweet-smelling  savour.  But  fornication,  and 
all  uncleanness,  or  covetousness,  let  it  not  be  once  named 

4  among  you,  as  becometh  saints ;  neither  filthiness,  nor 
foolish  talking,   nor  jesting,   which    are   not   convenient : 

5  but  rather  giving  of  thanks.  For  this  ye  know,  that  no 
whoremonger,  nor  unclean  person,  nor  covetous  man, 
who  is  an  idolater,  hath  any  inheritance  in  the  kingdom 

6  of  Christ  and  of  God.  Let  no  man  deceive  you  with 
vain  words :  for  because  of  these  things  cometh  the  wrath 

7  of  God  upon  the  children  of  disobedience.     Be  not  ye 

8  therefore  partakers  with  them.  For  ye  were  sometimes 
darkness,  but  now  are  ye  light   in  the  Lord :   walk  as 


Ephesians  v.  1-14  147 

9  children  of  light :    (for   the   fruit   of  the   Spirit  is  in  all 

10  goodness  and  righteousness  and  truth  ;)  proving  what  is 

11  acceptable  unto  the  Lord.  And  have  no  fellowship  with 
the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  but  rather  reprove  them. 

12  For  it  is  a  shame  even  to  speak  of  those  things  which  are 

13  done  of  them  in  secret.  But  all  things  that  are  reproved 
are  made  manifest  by  the  light :  for  whatsoever  doth  make 

14  manifest  is  light.  Wherefore  he  saith,  Awake  thou  that 
sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give 
thee  light. 

The  forgiving  love  of  God  in  Christ  is  the 
motive  and  the  measure  of  Christian  love.  Sins 
of  uncleanness  should  not  even  be  named  among 
Christians ;  it  is  a  shame  to  speak  of  them ;  they 
arouse  God's  wrath  and  exclude  from  His  kingdom. 
Children  of  light  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
works  of  darkness  but  to  reprove  them,  to  expose 
them,  to  let  Christ's  light  flash  upon  them  and 
destroy  them. 

1.  followers  of  God.  Better,  "imitators  ot 
God,"  We  have  to  thank  the  R.V.  for  this 
wonderful  phrase.  The  imitatio  Dei  is  the  highest 
endeavour  of  the  human  mind.  The  mere  thought 
of  its  possibility  is  an  ennobling  inspiration.  Man's 
ideal  is  God,  nothing  lower.  His  loftiest  conduct, 
in  the  measure  in  which  it  resembles  the  life  of 
God,  is  the  expression  of  His  true  self.  Only  for 
God's  dear  children,  re-born  of  His  Spirit,  is 
this  imitation  possible,  but  for  them  it  becomes  a 
second  nature.  What  a  piece  of  work  is  a  Christian 
man !  In  thought  and  action  he  can  imitate  the 
living  and  true  God. 

2.  walk  in  love.  Eveiy  Christian  is  to  be  in 
love,  living  and  walking  in  this  element.  In  the 
special  sense  of  the  word  Paul  was  perhaps  never 


148  Westminster  New  Testament 

"  in  love/'  though  we  really  do  not  know  ;  but  in 
the  Christian  sense  of  the  word^  love  was  the  air 
which  he  habitually  breathed^  witness  1  Cor.  xiii. 
even  as  Christ  .  .  .  loved.  This  verse  directs 
us  to  imitate  the  Son  as  the  previous  one  called 
us  to  imitate  the  Father.  It  sets  before  us  the 
perfect  example  of  Christ.  It  sounds  like  an  echo 
of  His  own  "  new  commandment,  that  ye  love  one 
another,  even  as  I  have  loved  you  "  (John  xiii.  34), 
The  Christian  motive  and  standard  give  the  old 
law  of  love  to  one's  neighbour  a  new  significance 
and    power,    loved  .  .  .  and    gave    himself. 

Christ  loved  not  in  word,  but  in  deed  and  in  truth. 
His  love  is  interpreted  and  measured  by  the 
Cross.  Paul  scarcely  ever  mentions  the  one  without 
the  other,  for  in  his  thought  they  are  inseparable. 
His  Gospel  is  not,  '^^  He  loved  me,"  but  '^^  He 
loved  me  and  gave  Himself  for  me  "  (Gal.  ii.  20 ; 
cf.  Eph.  V.  25).      He  regards  Christ's  death  as  an 

offering  and  a  sacrifice  to  God,  and  for  man. 
The  moral  influence  of  the  Cross  upon  human 
hearts  was  not  for  Christ  the  primary  consider- 
ation. His  first  thought  was  God.  He  desired  to 
enable  His  Father  to  lavish  His  love  upon  sinners 
without  dimming  the  glory  of  His  holiness.  Loving 
us,  whom  He  knew  to  be  guilty.  He  offered  Him- 
self to  God  on  our  behalf,  and  that  oblation  has  a 

spiritual  fragrance — an  odour  of  a  sweet  smell — 

which  makes  it  infinitely  well-pleasing  to  God. 

3.  as  becometh  saints.  In  the  N.T.  sense 
every  Christian  is  a  saint  (see  Col.  i.  2),  and 
purity  becomes  a  saint  as  valour  a  soldier.  Con- 
cerning a  whole  class  of  sins  it  befits  a  follower 
of  Jesus  to  be  silent.  They  are  offences  which 
bring  a  blush  to  the   cheek  of  innocence.     It  is 


Ephesians  v.  1-14  149 

shameful  even  to  speak  of  them  (ver.  12)^  except  it 
be  to  reprove  them  (ver.  11).  Paul  names  some  of 
them  in  this  very  passage,,  in  order  that  he  may 
brand  them.  No  one  could  be  more  plain  and 
explicit  than  he  in  exposing  heathen  vices,  but  he 
cannot  write  the  words  and  think  of  the  things 
without  a  burning  feeling  of  shame.  Henry 
Drummond  used  to  say  he  felt  as  if  he  must 
change  his  very  clothes  after  listening  to  some 
men's  confessions. 

4.  rather  giving  of  thanks.  High  thoughts 
expelling  low ;  hallelujahs  dulling  the  ears  to 
Satanic  ribaldiy. 

5.  kingdom  of  God  and  Christ.  Nothing 
that  defileth  can  enter  it^  for  it  is  pure  as  God  is 
pure.  Christ  habitually  spoke  of  the  kingdom  of 
God,  or  of  Heaven,  only  rarely  of  His  own 
kingdom.  Paul's  linking  of  the  Father's  kingdom 
with  the  Son's  is  a  striking  testimony  to  his  sense 
of  the  majesty  of  Christ.  The  two  realms  are  one 
because  the  two  Persons  are  one  (cf.  Rev.  xi.  15). 

6.  empty  words.  Paul  refers  to  the  perilous 
sophisms  of  ultra-spiritual  teachers  within  the 
Church,  who  made  light  of  sins  of  uncleanness, 
arguing  that  if  the  spirit  was  pure  it  did  not  matter 
what  happened  to  the  vile  body.  In  the  sacred 
name  of  liberty  they  offered  the  followers  of  Jesus 
a  licence  to  do  as  they  pleased.  They  used  religion 
to  excuse  vice.  They  made  their  philosophy  "  pro- 
curess to  the  lords  of  hell." 

7.  Be  not  .  .  .  partakers  with  them.    We 

are  not  to  seek  the  friendship  of  those  Avho  on  any 
pretext  palliate  evil.  We  are  to  think  of  them  as 
sinners  for  whom  Christ  died,  and  pray  for  their 
conversion,  but,  be  they  never  so  rich,  handsome. 


I50  Westminster  New  Testament 

and  clever,  they  are  enemies  of  God  and  must  not 
be  our  friends. 

8,  9.  darkness  .  .  .  light.  Those  who  formerly 
were  not  only  in  the  darkness,  but  themselves 
darkness  visible,  are  now  not  only  in  the  light,  but 
themselves  light  in  the  Lord,  shining  far  into  the 
darkness  around  them.  Both  Christ  and  Christians 
are  the  light  of  the  world  (John  viii.  12  ;  Matt. 
V.  14).  children  of  light.  A  beautiful  Hebrew 
idiom.  Contrast  ii.  2,  3  and  v.  6.  Milton  calls  light 
itself  the  ^'^  offspring  of  Heaven  first-born."  Every 
Christian  is  a  child  of  the  light,  and  every  Christian 
grace  a  fruit  of  the  light  (R.V.).  This  second 
figure  was  too  original  for  some  of  the  early  copy- 
ists, who  changed  it  into  "  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  " 
(cf.  Gal.  V.  22). 

11.  unfruitful  works  of  darkness.  The 
figure  is  maintained.  Plants  thrive  in  light  and 
wither  in  darkness. 

12.  done  in  secret.  Every  one  who  does  evil 
hates  the  light  (John  iii.  20).  The  special  refer- 
ence here  is  to  the  hateful  orgies  of  the  occult 
pagan  mysteries. 

13.  made  manifest  (cf.  John  iii.  20,  21). 
We  expose  sin  most  effectively,  not  by  denouncing 
it,  but  by  bringing  it  into  contrast  with  the  beauty 
of  holiness.  Light  reveals  darkness,  and  the  mere 
presence  of  virtue  makes  vice  hide  its  head  for 
shame,  everything  that  is  made  manifest  is 
light.  This  clause  is  very  difficult.  How  can  the 
hidden  vices  in  question  be  said  with  any  point 
to  become  light?  Perhaps  we  ought  to  read, 
"  everything  that  makes  manifest  is  light." 

14.  he  saith.  Or,  "it  is  said."  (Cf.  iv.  8.) 
But  what   is  the   source   of  the  quotation.''     The 


Ephesians  v.  15--21  151 

words  are  not  found  verbatim  in  Scripture. 
The  nearest  approach  to  them  is  in  Isa.  Ix.  1. 
Did  Paul's  memory  fail  him  when  he  tried  to  cite 
this  familiar  passage  ?  It  is  extremely  unlikely. 
It  is  much  more  probable  that  he  quotes  from 
some  early  Christian  liturgy.  "The  words  may 
have  been  used  in  the  reception  after  baptism'' 
(Abbott).  Conversion  is  described  as  an  awaking 
from  sleep,  an  arising  from  the  dead,  a  coming 
forth  into  the  light  of  day  (cf  Luke  i.  78). 


Eph.  V.  15-21. 
THE  FULNESS  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 

15  See  then  that  ye   walk  circumspectly,   not  as  fools,   but 

16  as  wise,  redeeming  the  time,  because  the   days  are  evil. 

17  Wherefore  be  ye  not  unwise,  but  understanding  what  the 

18  will    of  the   Lord   is.      And   be  not   drunk    with    wine, 

19  wherein  is  excess  ;  but  be  filled  with  the  Spirit ;  speaking 
to  yourselves  in  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs, 
singing  and  making  melody  in   your   heart  to  the  Lord  ; 

20  giving  thanks   always   for   all   things   unto   God   and  the 

21  Father  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  submitting 
yourselves  one  to  another  in  the  fear  of  God. 

For  the  seventh  and  last  time  Paul  exhorts  his 
readers  to  think  of  their  "  walk."  Let  them  be 
careful  and  wise,  eager  to  make  the  most  of  time, 
and  endeavouring  to  know  the  Lord's  will.  Instead 
of  the  delusive  joys  of  the  wine-cup,  let  them  seek 
the  exhilaration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  rapture 
of  song.    And  let  them  ever  be  thankful  and  humble. 

15.  circumspectly.  Or/'^carefully."  The  adverb 
goes  with  ^^ook"  rather  than  with  ^^walk."  Care- 
ful eyes  make  sure  feet.     unwisC  .  .  .  wise.  The 


152  Westminster  New  Testament 

same     apostle     who     so     frequently     depreciates 
worldly    wisdom,     ardently    praises     the     wisdom 
which  consists  in  *^  understanding  what  the   will 
of  the  Lord  is." 
16.  redeeming    the    time.     "  Making  your 

market  to  the  full  from  the  opportunity  of 
this  life"  (Ramsay).  The  chance  of  doing  good 
in  evil  days  is  so  precious  that  no  price  is  too 
high  to  pay  for  it.  If  we  cannot  purchase  the 
privilege  of  serving  Christ  without  bartering  our 
treasures,  let  us  never  grudge  the  expense  (see 
Matt.  xiii.  45).  Buy  nothing  in  the  market  of 
Vanity  Fair,  but  buy  truth  and  time  in  God's 
great  Exchange. 

18.  drunken  .  .  .  filled.  Every  man  seeks  ex- 
hilaration. He  loves  to  have  his  feelings  excited, 
his  imagination  fired,  his  spirit  thrilled.  The  drink 
habit  is  the  perversion  of  a  natural  instinct.  It  is 
a  fool's  way  of  drowning  care  and  rising  victorious 
over  the  ills  of  life.  Intoxication  is  a  parody  of 
inspiration.  Wine  can  never  do  the  work  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  the  body  and  soul  of  man.  But 
let  every  believer  be  filled  with  the  Spirit, 
intoxicated  with  God,  and  he  at  once  realises  the 
power  of  a  holy  enthusiasm  to  quench  the  passion 
for  sensuous  excitement,  as  a  great  fire  puts  out  a 
little  one. 

19.  psalms,  hymns,  songs  (see  Col.  iii.  16). 

The  reference  is  rather  to  singing  in  social  and 
domestic  circles  than  in  Church  gatherings. 
The  Hebrew  psalms,  the  Christian  hymns,  the 
spiritual  odes  of  experience,  are  to  make  all  life 
musical.  If  we  have  melody  in  the  heart,  so 
that  "  our  secret  souls  a  holy  strain  repeat,"  we  go 
even  to  life's  battles  like  soldiers  marching  to  martial 


Ephesians  v.  22-33  153 

strains.     We  can  "  make  life,  death,  and  the  vast 
forever,  one  grand  sweet  song." 

20.  thanks  always  for  all  things.  This  is 
still  more  emphatic  than  the  words  of  Paul's 
earliest  epistle,  "in  everything  give  thanks" 
(1  Thess.  V.  18).  There  is  no  room  for  murmuring 
in  the  Christian  life.  All  things  are  somehow  the 
expression  of  our  Father's  love.  "  I  worship  thee, 
sweet  will  of  God." 

21.  the  fear  of  Christ.  This  is  doubtless  the 
correct  reading ;  all  the  best  MSS  have  it.  But  it 
is  so  singular  that  the  perplexed  copyists  changed 
it  into  the  familiar  phrase,  "the  fear  of  God." 
The  meaning  is  that  Christ  is  not  only  to  be  loved 
as  the  Redeemer  of  our  souls,  but  feared  as  the 
Judge  of  our  daily  lives.  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord  " 
{i.e.  Christ)  is  a  motive  of  subduing  power 
(2  Cor.  V.  11).  Here  it  is  used  as  an  incentive 
to  humility  in  our  intercourse  with  our  fellow- 
Christians. 

Eph.  V.  22-33. 
HUSBANDS  AND  WIVES. 

22  Wives,   submit  yourselves   unto   your   own   husbands,    as 

23  unto  the  Lord.     For  the  husband  is  the  head  of  the  wife, 
even  as  Christ  is  the  head  of  the  church  :  and  he  is  the 

24  saviour  of  the  body.     Therefore  as  the  church  is  subject 
unto  Christ,  so  let  the  wives  be  to  their  own  husbands  in 

25  every  thing.     Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ 

26  also  loved  the   church,  and   gave  himself  for  it ;    that  he 
might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water  by 

27  the  word,  that  he  might   present  it  to  himself  a  glorious 
church,  not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing  ; 

28  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and  without  blemish.     So  ought 
men  to  love   their  wives  as   their  own  bodies.     He  that 


154  Westminster  New  Testament 

29  loveth  his  wife  loveth  himself.  For  no  man  ever  yet 
hated  his   own   flesh ;   but   nourisheth  and   cherisheth  it, 

30  even  as  the  Lord  the  church  :  for  we  are  members  of  his 

31  body,  of  his  flesh,  and  of  his  bones.  For  this  cause  shall 
a  man  leave  his   father  and  mother,  and  shall  be  joined 

32  unto  his  wife,  and  they  two  shall  be  one  flesh.  This  is  a 
great  mystery :    but    I   speak   concerning    Christ   and  the 

33  church.  Nevertheless  let  every  one  of  you  in  particular 
so  love  his  wife  even  as  himself ;  and  the  wife  see  that  she 
reverence  her  husband. 

The  apostle  gives  special  injunctions  to  wives  and 
husbands.  Wives  owe  subjection  to  their  husbands, 
and  husbands  love  to  their  wives.  The  relation  is 
compared  to  that  of  Christ  and  the  Church.  As 
Christ  is  Head  of  the  Church,  so  the  husband  is 
head  of  the  wife ;  and  as  Christ  loves  the  Church, 
so  the  husband  is  to  love  his  wife. 

22-24.  Wives,  be  in  subjection  .  .  .  subject 
in  everything.  Add  to  this  the  words  in  ver.  33, 
"and  let  the  wife  see  that  she  fear  her  husband." 
Cf  Col.  iii.  18.  Here  the  apostle's  thoughts  are 
those  of  the  ancient  world,  Jewish  and  Gentile. 
He  shares  to  some  extent  the  universal  Oriental 
conception  of  the  natural  inferiority  of  woman  to 
man.  He  confirms  the  ideas  of  his  time.  The 
theory  of  the  subjection  of  woman  is  one  which  the 
twentieth  century  is  keenly  scrutinising.  Woman's 
"  lord  and  master  "  is  a  creature  of  the  past.  Her 
obligations  are  not  subjection  and  fear,  but  the 
same  reverence,  confidence,  and  love  which  are 
her  own  due.  Husband  and  wife  are  not  superior 
and  inferior,  but  equals  in  Christ  Jesus. 

23.  being  himself  the  saviour.  Paul  calls 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  analogy  between 
Christ  as  Head  of  the  Church  and  the  husband  as 


Ephesians  v.  22-33  ^55 

head  of  the  wife  fails  in  one  important  point.  Christ 
is  the  Saviour  of  the  body^  that  is,  the  Church  ;  in 
this  respect  He  is  alone  and  incomparable.  Here 
the  word  saviour  occurs  for  the  first  time  in  the 
Pauline  epistles.  Only  once  again  (Phil.  iii.  30)  do 
we  meet  it  till  we  come  to  the  Pastoral  Epistles, 
where  it  is  applied  to  the  Father  more  often  than 
the  Son. 

25.  love  .  .  .  even  as  Christ.   In  this  ideal 

there  is  nothing  relative  to  time  and  place.  It 
is  absolute  ;  no  higher  is  conceivable.  Conjugal 
love  finds  its  motive  and  measure  in  Christ's  love 
of  His  Church.  It  is  no  violent  delight  with 
violent  end.  It  is  as  pure  and  spiritual  as  it  is 
warm  and  passionate.  "  It  is  not  Time's  fool ;  it 
hath  the  quality  of  everlastingness."  "  Many 
waters  cannot  quench  it."  Christ  loved  .  .  . 
and  gave  himself  (cf.  Gal.  ii.  20).  Paul  cannot 
dissociate  the  love  of  Christ  from  Calvary.  It  is 
the  Saviour's  dying  love — sacrificing  and  redeeming 
— that  has  such  tremendous  driving  power  in  the 
life  of  humanity  (see  2  Cor.  v.  14,  15).  From 
this  passage  we  learn  that  the  Cross  wins  its 
greatest  triumphs  in  the  Christian  home. 

26,  27.  sanctify  it.  ''  It "  rather  detracts  from 
the  beauty  of  this  exquisite  passage.  Substitute 
"  her  "  four  times,  to  keep  the  charm  of  the  figure. 
The  Church  is  regarded  as  Christ's  bride.  He 
loves  her,  purifies  her,  adorns  her,  and  finally 
presents  her,  glorious,  immaculate,  fair  in  eternal 
youth,  "  without  spot "  of  sin,  "  or  wrinkle  "  of  age, 
"or  any  such  thing"  (see  Rev.  xix.  7,8).  the 
washing  of  water.  Lit.,  "the  laver  of  water." 
Christ  cleanses  the  Church  symbolically  with 
water,  spiritually  with    the   word.    There    is  no 


156  Westminster  New  Testament 

occasion  to  read  even   the   beginning  of  a  sacra- 
mentarian  doctrine  into  these  words. 

28,  29.  as  their  own  bodies.  Even  as  Christ 
loves  the  Church  which  is  His  mystical  body^  so  the 
husband  is  to  love  his  wife  who  has^  in  the  same 
spiritual  sense^  become  his  body,  his  Own  flesh 
(ver.  29),  identified  with  himself  (vers.  28,  33). 

31.  See  Gen.  ii.  24. 

32.  This  mystery  is  great.  The  mystery  is 
(probably)  the  sacred  union  of  the  Bridegroom  and 
the  Bride,  with  which  marriage  is  compared. 
Here  the  Vulgate  reads,  "  SacTamentum  hoc 
magnum  est,"  which  led  the  Roman  Church  to 
regard  marriage  as  a  sacrament.  I  speak  is  often 
used  by  Paul  with  the  sense  of  "I  mean." 


Eph.  vi.  1-9. 

CHILDREN  AND  PARENTS,  SLAVES  AND 
MASTERS. 

Children,  obey  your  parents  in  the  Lord  :  for  this  is  right. 

2  Honour  thy  father  and  mother  ;   which  is  the   first  com- 

3  mandment  with  promise  ;  that  it  may  be  well  with  thee, 

4  and  thou  mayest  live  long  on  the  earth.  And,  ye  fathers, 
provoke  not  your  children  to  wrath  :  but  bring  them  up  in 

5  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  Servants,  be 
obedient  to  them  that  are  your  masters  according  to  the 
flesh,  with  fear  and  trembling,  in  singleness  of  your  heart, 

6  as  unto  Christ ;  not  with  eyeservice,  as  menpleasers ; 
but  as  the  servants  of  Christ,  doing  the  will  of  God  from 

7  the  heart ;   with  good  will  doing  service,  as  to  the  Lord, 

8  and  not  to  men  :  knowing  that  whatsoever  good  thing 
any  man  doeth,  the  same   shall   he  receive  of  the  Lord, 

9  whether  he   be  bond   or   free.     And,  ye  masters,   do  the 


Ephesians  vi.  1-9  157 

same  things  unto  them,  forbearing  threatening  :  knowing 
that  your  Master  also  is  in  heaven  ;  neither  is  there  respect 
of  persons  with  him. 

Children  owe  obedience  to  their  parents,  slaves 
to  their  masters.  The  children  of  Christian  parents 
are  in  the  Lord,  and  are  to  be  trained  according  to 
His  principles.  Bond-servants  have  their  labour 
dignified  and  hallowed  by  these  great  thoughts  : 
they  owe  obedience  to  Christ,  they  are  servants  of 
Christ,  they  can  do  the  Mill  of  God,  they  can 
render  service  to  the  Lord,  and  they  will  receive 
their  reward  from  the  Lord.  Masters  are  to 
remember  that  they  have  a  Master  who  has  no 
favourites. 

1 .  obey  ...  in  the  Lord.  Paul  is  familiar  with 
the  idea  that  every  Hebrew  child  was  an  heir  of 
the  blessings  of  the  Old  Covenant,  and  he  assumes 
that  the  children  of  Christians  are  in  the  Lord,  i.e. 
in  Christ.  They  belong  to  Him,  they  have  been 
united  to  Him,  even  before  their  baptism,  which 
is  the  symbol  of  their  union,  this  is  right.  In 
harmony  both  with  natural  law  and  withjrevelation. 
The  Holy  Child  Jesus  was  subject  to  His  parents 
(Luke  ii.  51). 

2.  with  promise.  If  the  reference  is  to  the 
commandments  of  the  Decalogue,  the  fifth  is  the 
only  one  which  has  a  promise  appended  to  it.  But 
the  Ten,  which  were  doubtless  first  learned,  formed 
a  preface  to  many  others,  some  of  which  were 
commandments  with  promise. 

S.  on  the  earth.  This  takes  the  place  of  the 
O.T.  words,  "  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee"  (Ex.  xx.  12).  There  is  one  Hebrew 
term  for  "land"  and  "earth."     The  apostle  shows 


158  Westminster  New  Testament 

how  untrammelled  his  spirit  is  by  changing  a 
territorial  promise  into  a  world-wide  one.  He 
knows  well  that  the  Divine  Father  means  to  bless 
all  His  children. 

4.  provoke  not.  ^^  Perhaps  it  is  some  terrible 
family  scene  that  made  Paul  so  keenly  alive  to  the 
duty  owed  by  a  father  to  his  children.  Probably 
nothing  in  family  life  makes  a  more  awful  and 
lasting  impression  on  a  sensitive  mind  than  a  scene 
where  a  respected  and  beloved  parent  makes  a 
demand  beyond  what  love  or  duty  permits,  and 
tries  to  enforce  that  demand  by  authority  and 
threats.  If  Paul  had  to  face  such  a  scene,  we  can 
appreciate  the  reason  why  he  lays  so  much  stress 
on  the  duty  of  parents  to  respect  their  children's 
just  feelings.  According  to  our  conjecture  Paul 
had  good  cause  to  know  the  harm  that  parents 
may  do  by  not  reasonably  considering  their 
children's  desires  and  beliefs  "  (Ramsay). 

5.  Slaves,  be  obedient.  The  words  are  ad- 
dressed to  Christian  slaves — men  and  women — 
who  have  become  spiritually  free.  It  is  hard  for 
them  to  be  told  that  their  obligations  to  their 
masters,  Christian  or  heathen,  remain  absolutely 
unchanged.  The  N.T.  preaches  no  immediate 
social  revolution.  It  does  not  denounce  slavery 
as  it  denounces  drunkenness  and  immorality.  It 
dreads  anarchy,  it  loves  order.  It  does  not  lay 
the  axe  at  the  root  of  the  upas  tree,  but  it  does 
something  more  wonderful :  it  creates  a  new 
atmosphere  in  which  the  tree  withers  and  dies. 
fear  and  trembling.  Many  contexts  prove  that 
this  phrase  expresses  no  more  than  that  earnest, 
anxious  desire  to  do  one's  very  best  which  animates 
all  conscientious  servants.     It  does  not  mean  the 


Ephesians  vi.  10-20  159 

ignoble  feeling  of  slavish  terror  (see  2  Cor.  vii.  15  ; 
Phil.  ii.  12). 

6,  7.  eyeservice.  Contrast  young  Milton's 
resolve  to  live  ^^as  ever  in  my  great  Taskmaster's 
eye."  men-pleasers.  Compare  the  apostle's 
indignant  question  in  Gal.  i.  10,  "Am  I  seeking 
to  please  men?"  All  servants  begin  to  work  with 
a  new  spirit  as  soon  as  they  resolve  to  be  God- 
pleasers,  "  doing  service,  not  unto  men." 

8.  shall  receive  again.  All  faithful  service  is 
recognised,  remembered,  and  recompensed  by  the 
Divine  Master.  Fidelity  receives  its  present 
reward,  inward  and  spiritual  if  not  outward  and 
material,  and  in  the  Great  Day  it  will  receive  its 
final  reward — entrance  into  the  joy  of  the  Lord 
(Matt.  XXV.  21,  23). 

9.  the  same  things.  ''All  things  whatsoever 
ye  would  that  men  (here  slaves)  should  do  to  you, 
do  ye  (masters)  also  to  them"  (Matt.  vii.  12). 
Treat  them  with  the  same  respect  and  affection 
which  you  expect  to  receive  from  them.  They 
are  not  "  animated  tools,"  as  Aristotle  said  ;  they 
are  "brothers  beloved"  (Philem.  l6).  This  pre- 
cept, if  observed  in  the  spirit,  would  of  course  lead 
straight  to  manumission  ;  for  what  master,  if  he  had 
a  taste  of  slavery,  would  not  long  to  be  free  ?  Thus 
the  leaven  began  to  work,  which  was  ere  long  to 
change  the  whole  social  system  of  the  ancient  world. 

Eph.  vi.  10-20. 
THE  ARMOUR  OF  GOD. 

10  Finally,  my  brethren,  be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the 

11  power  of  his  might.     Put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God, 
that  ye  may  be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil. 


i6o  Westminster  New  Testament 

12  For  we  wresLle  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against 
principalities,  against  powers,  against  the  rulers  of  the 
darkness   of  this   world,    against   spiritual  wickedness  in 

13  high  places.  Wherefore  take  unto  you  the  whole  armour 
of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  withstand  in  the  evil  day, 

14  and  having  done  all,  to  stand.  Stand  therefore,  having 
your  loins  girt  about  with  truth,  and  having  on  the  breast- 

1 5  plate  of  righteousness  ;  and  your  feet  shod  with  the  prepara- 

16  tion  of  the  gospel  of  peace  ;  above  all,  taking  the  shield 
of  faith,  wherewith  ye  shall  be  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery 

17  darts  of  the  wicked.  And  take  the  helmet  of  salvation, 
and  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God : 

18  praying  always  with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  the 
Spirit,  and  watching  thereunto  with  all  perseverance  and 

19  supplication  for  all  saints  ;  and  for  me,  that  utterance  may 
be  given  unto  me,  that  I  may  open  my  mouth  boldly,  to 

20  make  known  the  mystery  of  the  gospel,  for  which  I  am 
an  ambassador  in  bonds  :  that  therein  I  may  speak  boldly, 
as  I  ought  to  speak. 

Seductions  to  sin  come  to  us  not  only  from  this 
visible  world^  but  from  an  invisible  world  of 
malignant  spirits.  We  have  to  maintain  a  conflict 
with  forces  of  evil.  While  we  live^  temptations 
will  not  die.  How  shall  we  win  our  battle  ?  By 
wearing  the  panoply  of  God  and  praying  at  all 
seasons  in  the  Spirit.  For  all  saints  Paul  desires 
supplication^  and  makes  a  pathetic  appeal  on  his 
own  behalf^  that  as  an  imprisoned  ambassador  he 
may  speak  with  boldness. 

10.  be  strong.  The  Christian's  moral  power 
(his  dunamis  or  dynamic  energy)  is  really  spiritual 
power.  It  is  the  strength  of  union  with  Christ, 
who  was  victorious  in  life's  whole  battle,  and 
whose  conquering  might  becomes  ours  through 
faith  (cf   2  Cor.  xii.  9). 


Ephesians  vi.  10-20  161 

11.  whole  armour.  The  Greek  word  is  panopUa, 
whence  our  *^^ panoply"  (see  Luke  xi.  22).  The 
Eternal  City  was  nothing  if  not  military,  and  Paul 
spiritualises  a  brilliant  figure  that  flashed  before 
his  eyes  every  hour  of  the  day — the  full-armed 
Roman  soldier.  He  thinks  of  an  armour  of  celestial 
metal  and  tempering  which  the  Christian  soldier 
needs  to  wear.  There  is  a  striking  passage  on 
the  Divine  panoply  in  the  "  Book  of  Wisdom " 
(v.  1 7)  which  may  have  been  familiar  to  the  apostle. 
the  wiles.    Lit.,  the  methods. 

12.  flesh  and  blood.  Earthly,  human  tempters, 
in  contrast  with  invisible  foes,  world-rulers. 
Great  kings  were  thus  magniloquently  described 
in  Rabbinical  literature.  Here  the  reference  is  to 
demoniacal  powers,  in  the  heavenly  places. 
Some  read,  ^'  For  we  wrestle  ...  in  the  heavenly 
places,"  which  are  already  entered  by  faith. 
Clearly,  however,  it  is  not  the  wrestlers,  but  the 
hosts  of  evil,  who  are  located  in  the  heavenlies. 
This  is  a  very  unusual  conception,  parallels  to  which 
are,  however,  found  in  some  pre-Christian  literature, 
especially  in  the  "  Book  of  the  Secrets  of  Enoch." 

13.  in  the  evil  day.  Any  time  of  fierce  tempta- 
tion. On  the  day  of  His  betrayal  Jesus  said, 
"This  is  your  hour,  and  the  power  of  darkness." 
Our  conduct  in  some  day  of  trial  will  fix  our  destiny, 
to  withstand  ...  to  stand.  To  withstand  in  the 
time  of  attack,  to  stand  steady  and  ready  always. 
As  the  danger  is  perpetual,  the  Christian  soldier 
must  be  perpetually  on  the  alert,  never  off  his  guard. 

14-17.    The  pieces  of  the  armour  of  God    are 

truth,  the  believer's  own  sincerity  and  simplicity  ; 

righteousness,  alike  of  status  and  of  character, 

imputed  and  imparted  ;  readiness  to  go  and  preach 

II 


1 62  Westminster  New  Testament 

the  gospel  of  peace ;  faith,  the  active  principle  of 
the  Christian  Hfe  ;  salvation,  Divine  deliverance 
from  the  guilt  and  power  of  sin  ;  and  the  word  of 
God,  which  was  Christ's  own  weapon  in  His 
spiritual  conflicts.  With  all  this  we  are  braced, 
covered^  shod,  shielded.  Our  weapons  of  defence 
are  numerous,  our  single  weapon  of  offence  is  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit.  The  one  part  of  the  Christian 
soldier's  person  for  which  there  is  no  protection  is 
his  back ;  it  is  to  need  none.  He  must  have 
"  breast  and  back  as  either  should  be."  fiery  dartS 
were  used  in  ancient  warfare ;  they  were  darts  or 
arrows  tipped  with  tow,  dipped  in  pitch,  and  set  on 
fire.  The  tow,  the  pitch,  and  the  fire  have  all 
their  analogues  in  our  moral  conflicts. 

18.  all  prayer.  The  four  ^^ all's"  in  this  verse 
are  characteristic  of  Paul — all  prayer,  all  seasons, 
all  perseverance,  all  saints  (cf.  Phil.  i.  3,  4).  His 
eager  spirit  is  satisfied  with  nothing  less  than  the 
maximum  of  everything.  Prayer  in  the  Spirit  is 
the  antithesis  of  praying  with  "  vain  repetitions  " 
(Matt.  vi.  7).  The  Spirit  creates  the  atmosphere 
of  real  communion  and  intense  devotion. 

19,  20.  with  boldness.  Moral  courage;  ht., 
^^outspokenness."  Although  Paul  has  spoken  so 
bravely  for  Christ  in  many  lands,  he  yet  feels, 
perhaps  more  than  ever,  the  need  of  the  prayers  of 
his  brethren,  to  inspire  him  with  confidence  when 
he  opens  his  mouth  in  the  capital  of  the  world. 
He  has  a  clear  conception  of  how  he  ought  to 
speak.  The  spirit  of  the  ambassador  of  Christ  is 
almost  as  important  as  his  message.  Not  with 
bated  breath  and  whispering  humbleness,  but  with 
the  fearless  eloquence  of  conviction,  is  he  to  make 
known  the  mystery  of  the  gospel. 


Ephesians  vi.  21-24  ^^3 

Eph.  vi.  21-24. 
PAUL'S  MESSENGER— FAREWELL. 

21  But   that  ye   also   may  know   my  affairs,  and  how  I  do, 
Tychicus,  a  beloved  brother  and  faithful  minister  in  the 

22  Lord,  shall  make  known  to  you  all  things  :  whom  I  have 
sent  unto  you  for  the  same  purpose,  that  ye  might  know 

23  our  affairs,  and  that  he  might  comfort  your  hearts.     Peace 
be   to  the   brethren,  and   love  with   faith,  from   God  the 

24  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     Grace  be  with  all  them 
that  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity.     Amen. 

2L  ye  also.  The  passage  about  Tychicus  is 
almost  the  same  as  Col.  iv.  7.  Only,  also  is  added. 
The  conjunction  has  critical  value,  linking  as  it 
does  the  two  epistles  together,  and  indicating  that 
Colossians  was  written  just  before  Ephesians.  in 
the  Lord.  This  is  the  last  of  many  uses  of  this 
phrase  in  the  epistle.  Not  only  the  Christian 
brotherhood  and  ministry,  but  all  spiritual  blessings 
and  offices,  are  fruits  of  the  mystic  union  between 
Christ  and  His  Church.  "  In  the  Lord  "  indicates 
both  the  sphere  and  the  atmosphere  in  which 
every  privilege  is  to  be  enjoyed  and  every  task  to 
be  fulfilled. 

23-24.  Peace  .  .  .  faith.  Paul  shows  his 
originality  in  his  benedictions  as  in  everything  else. 
They  never  become  stereotyped.  This  one  is  in 
the  third  person  instead  of  the  second — "all  them  " 
instead  of  "you" — which  harmonises  well  with  the 
theory  that  the  letter  is  addressed  not  to  one  com- 
munity but  to  a  circle  of  churches,  love  OUr  Lord. 
This  is  what  He  desires  first,  most,  and  always. 
"  Do  you  love  Me  }  "  is  His  question  (John  xxi.  15). 
Love   alone    slakes    His    thirst.      love    ...    in 


i64  Westminster  New  Testament 

sincerity.  This  does  not  accurately  render  the 
great  word  with  which  the  epistle  ends,  and  the  "  in 
uncorruptness "  of  the  R.V.  is  intolerably  prosaic. 
"  Imperishably/'  "  unchangeably/'  or  "  everlast- 
ingly/' is  the  idea.  Our  love  of  Christ,  like  His 
love  for  us,  is  to  be  a  never-withering  flower. 


Phil.  i.  I,  2. 

SALUTATION. 

Paul  and  Timotheus,  the  servants  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  all 
the  saints  in  Christ  Jesus  which  are   at  Philippi,  with  the 
2  bishops  and  deacons :  Grace  be  unto  you,  and  peace,  from 
God  our  Father,  and  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  servants.  Gr.,  "bond-servants."  The  word 
implies  Christ's  ownership  of  believers^  and  their 
obligation  to  do  His  will.  But  the  servile  element 
is  quite  eliminated.  Christ's  service  is  perfect 
freedom — the  obedience  of  sons  (Rom.  viii.  15). 
Paul  feels  no  need  to  assert  his  apostolic  authority 
in  addressing  this  best-loved  church.  He  is  the 
servant  of  Christ  like  the  lowliest  believer,  all  the 
saints.  See  Col.  i.  2.  bishops  and  deacons. 
"  Bishops  "  are  literally  those  who  have  the  over- 
sight. There  were  several  of  them  in  one  church. 
"  Deacons  "  are  those  who  serve  the  church.  The 
Philippian  Churchy  as  the  oldest  in  Europe,  had 
more  time  than  others  to  develop  her  institutions. 
But  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  "the  Pauline 
epistles,  omitting  for  the  present  the  Pastorals, 
exhibit  Church  polity  in  a  rudimentary  and  fluid 
state  in  which  official  designations  are  not  clearly 
defined,  and  the  offices  themselves  have  not  taken 

permanent  and  definite  shape  "  (Vincent). 

165 


i66  Westminster  New  Testament 


Phil.  i.  3-II. 
THANKSGIVING  AND  PRAYER. 

3  I    thank    my    God    upon    every    remembrance    of    you, 

4  always  in   every  prayer  of  mine   for  you  all  making  re- 

5  quest   with  joy,    for  your   fellowship  in   the   gospel  from 

6  the  first  day  until  now  ;  being  confident  of  this  very  thing, 
that  he  which  hath  begun  a  good  work  in  you  will  perform 

7  it  until  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ :  even  as  it  is  meet  for  me 
to  think  this  of  you  all,  because  I  have  you  in  my  heart ; 
inasmuch  as  both  in  my  bonds,  and  in  the  defence  and 
confirmation  of  the  gospel,  ye   all  are   partakers  of  my 

8  grace.     For  God  is  my  record,  how  greatly  I  long  after 

9  you  all  in  the  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  this  I  pray, 
that  your  love  may  abound  yet  more  and  more  in  know- 

10  ledge  and  in  all  judgment ;  that  ye  may  approve  things 
that  are  excellent ;   that  ye   may  be  sincere  and  without 

1 1  offence  till  the  day  of  Christ ;  being  filled  with  the  fruits  of 
righteousness,  which  are  by  Jesus  Christ,  unto  the  glory 
and  praise  of  God. 

Paul  never  wrote  to  any  church  with  a  gratitude 
so  warm  and  strong  as  that  which  wells  up  within 
him  when  he  addresses  the  Philippians.  He 
always  remembers  them  with  joy,  they  dwell  in 
his  heart,  and  he  yearns  for  intercourse  with  them. 
He  prays  that  they  may  grow  towards  perfection 
in  love,  knowledge,  righteousness. 

3,  4.  all  .  .  .  always  .  .  .  every  .  .  .  all. 
This  exuberance  is  Pauline.  The  writer  is  any- 
thing but  a  cold  logician.  He  is  a  man  of  the 
warmest,  tenderest  feeling.  with  joy.  This  is 
the  keynote  of  the  epistle.  ''^  Joy  "  and  '^'^ rejoice" 
occur  ten  times.  The  prisoner  in  Rome  rejoices 
greatly  (iv.   10),  and  again  and  again  he  bids  his 


Philippians  i.  3-1 1  167 

church  in  Philippi  rejoice.  Ten  years  have  passed 
since  he  founded  that  church,  and  his  happy  rela- 
tions with  it  have  never  been  disturbed.  It  has 
been  a  ceaseless  comfort  to  him  ;  and  it  is  still  his 
joy  and  crown  (iv.  1). 

5.  fellowship  in.  Rather,  "  fellowship  unto/' 
i.e.  in  furtherance  of,  the  gospel.  Paul  and  the 
Philippians,  though  far  apart,  have  been  working 
together  in  a  great  cause.  He  delights  to  think 
of  them  as  comrades.  "Fellowship"  doubtless 
refers  especially  to  the  pecuniary  aid  which  they 
have  several  times  sent  him,  but  he  thinks  rather 
of  that  communion  of  spirit  which  has  prompted 
their  generosity. 

6.  begun  .  .  .  perfect.  The  good  work 
began  at  the  time  of  their  conversion,  and  it 
was  going  on.  From  first  to  last  it  was  Divine, 
and  as  such  it  could  not  stop  short  of  perfection. 
God  is  not  content  with  half-done  work ;  He  will 
"perfect  that  which  concerneth  us."  Therefore 
we  who  co-operate  with  Him  must  not  be  easily 
satisfied.  Our  positive  and  comparative  degree 
must  rise  to  the  superlative ;  our  good  be  crowned 
with  the  best.  "  That  to  perfection's  sacred  height 
we  nearer  still  may  rise."  "  I  shall  be  satisfied 
.  .  .  with  Thy  likeness."  the  day  of  Jesus 
Christ.  The  time  of  His  second  coming  (^parousia, 
presence)  ;  "  the  day  when  the  Lord  reveals  Himself 
in  His  fulness  to  the  world,  when  He  judges  evil 
and  fulfils  His  great  purpose  of  redemption  among 
men"  (Davidson).  The  apostles  expected  that  day 
to  dawn  in  their  lifetime. 

7.  in  my  heart.  This  is  the  language  of  love. 
Paul  was  a  true  Greatheart.  Multitudes  found 
shelter  and  comfort  in  his  sympathy,     partakers 


i68  Westminster  New  Testament 

with  me.  The  Philippians  cast  in  their  lot  with 
Paul.  By  their  v/arm  affection  and  generous  gifts 
they  identify  themselves,  as  far  as  distance  allows 
them,  with  the  cause  for  which  he  suffers.  While 
he  languishes  in  a  Roman  prison,  experiencing  the 
law's  delays,  they  are  with  him  in  spirit,  as  if 
sharing  his  bonds,  defence  is  to  be  taken  in  the 
strict  legal  sense.  But  it  is  the  gospel,  rather  than 
Paul,  that  is  on  the  defence.  He  fully  realises 
the  importance  of  his  trial  before  the  highest 
earthly  tribunal.  As  protagonist  of  the  Church, 
as  defender  of  the  faith,  he  aims  at  the  con- 
firmation of  the  gospel  in  the  Roman  Empire. 
He  wishes  it  to  be  recognised  as  a  legitimate 
religion,  which  will  be  a  step  towards  its  adoption 
as  the  one  universal  and  absolute  religion. 

8.  I  long  for  you.  With  that  peculiar  affection 
which  warms  the  heart  of  a  Christian  minister. 
It  is  a  longing  ^Mn  the  tender  mercies  of  Jesus 
Christ,"  as  if  one's  own  personality  were  merged 
in  that  of  the  great  Lover  of  souls. 

9-11.  I  pray.  Another  of  those  wonderful 
prayers  which  so  enrich  Paul's  letters,  making  him, 
after  our  Lord  Himself,  the  best  master  of  the  art 
of  prayer.  A  man's  earnest  and  fervent  petitions 
clearly  reveal  his  ideals.  He  wrestles  with  God 
for  things  which  he  really  desires  for  himself  and 
others.  Paul's  highest  wish  for  the  Philippians  is 
that  the  love  which  is  already  their  distinction — 
not  a  blind  but  a  clear-sighted  love,  a  sure  guide 
to  things  excellent — may  so  increase  that  their 
spirit  shall  always  be  sincere,  their  example 
innocuous,  their  life  full  of  fruit  to  God's  glory. 
abound  is  a  favourite  Pauline  word,  used  four 
times  in  this    epistle,  and  often  elsewhere.     The 


Philippians  i.  12-26  169 

grace  of  God  hath  abounded  .  .  .  the  sufferings 
of  Christ  abound  .  .  .  that  your  love  may  abound. 
''Love  alone  knows  no  excess."  without  offence 
may  mean  either  "  without  stumbling  "  or  "  with- 
out causing  others  to  stumble."  fruitS  should  be 
"fruit."  Compare  "the  fruit  of  the  Spirit/'  Gal. 
V.  22.  The  Christian  graces  form  a  unity,  a  single 
luscious  cluster  of  ripe  fruit. 

Phil.  i.  12-26. 
CHRIST  IS  PREACHED. 

12  But  I  would  ye  should  understand,  brethren,  that  the  things 
which  happened  unto  me  have  fallen  out  rather  unto  the 

13  furtherance  of  the  gospel  ;  so  that  my  bonds  in  Christ  are 

14  manifest  in  all  the  palace,  and  in  all  other  places ;  and 
many  of  the  brethren  in  the  Lord,  waxing  confident  by  my 
bonds,  are  much  more  bold  to  speak   the    word  without 

15  fear.     Some  indeed  preach  Christ  even  of  envy  and  strife  ; 

16  and  some  also  of  good  will :  the  one  preach  Christ  of 
contention,  not  sincerely,    supposing  to  add    affliction    to 

17  my   bonds  :    but  the    other  of  love,   knowing   that  I  am 

18  set  for  the  defence  of  the  gospel.  What  then?  notwith- 
standing, every  way,  whether  in  pretence,  or  in  truth,  Christ 
is  preached  ;  and  I  therein  do  rejoice,  yea,  and  will  rejoice. 

19  For  I  know  that  this  shall  turn  to  my  salvation  through 
your  prayer,  and  the  supply  of  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ, 

20  according  to  my  earnest  expectation  and  my  hope,  that 
in  nothing  I  shall  be  ashamed,  but  that  with  all  boldness, 
as  always,   so  now  also  Christ  shall  be   magnified  in  my 

21  body,  whether  it  be  by  life,  or  by  death.     For  to  me  to  live 

22  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.  But  if  I  live  in  the  flesh,  this 
is  the  fruit  of  my  labour  :  yet  what  I  shall  choose  I  wot 

23  not.     For  I  am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  desire  to 

24  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ ;  which  is  far  better  :  never- 

25  theless  to  abide  in  the  flesh  is  more  needful  for  you.     And 


I70  Westminster  New  Testament 

having  this  confidence,  I  know  that  I  shall  abide  and  con- 
tinue with  you  all  for  your  furtherance  and  joy  of  faith  ; 
26  that  your  rejoicing  may  be  more  abundant  in  Jesus  Christ 
for  me  by  my  coming  to  you  again. 

This  passage  finely  illustrates  Paul  the  aged's 
breadth  of  vision  and  tolerance  of  spirit.  He 
recognises  the  soul  of  good  in  things  evil,  the  bright 
side  of  dark  providences,  the  root  of  the  matter  in 
very  imperfect  characters,  the  service  rendered  to 
God  even  by  jealous  and  spiteful  rivals.  In  Rome, 
in  prison,  he  rejoices,  and  will  rejoice,  for  Christ's 
cause  is  prevailing. 

12.  the  things  which  happened  unto  me. 
Lit.,  '^  the  things  concerning  me,"  my  circumstances, 
my  prison  experiences.  These  have  tended  to  the 
progress  of  the  gospel.  If  the  first  natural 
feelings  of  the  Philippians  who  have  heard  of  his 
captivity  have  been  distress  and  anxiety,  let  their 
next  feeling  be  gratitude,  for  the  cause  which 
seemed  to  be  receiving  a  set-back  is  really  ad- 
vancing by  leaps  and  bounds.  Such  indications 
of  progress  accord  far  better  with  the  Roman  than 
the  Caesarean  imprisonment,  and  the  references  to 
the  Praetorian  Guard  (ver.  13)  and  Caesar's  house- 
hold (iv.  22)  seem  quite  conclusive  for  the  Roman 
authorship. 

13.  in  Christ.  The  R.V.  gives  these  words 
their  right  place  in  the  sentence  :  "  My  bonds  have 
become  manifest  as  being  in  Christ."  The  real 
meaning  of  the  charge  against  him  has  been 
revealed.  He  is  no  ordinary  criminal,  no  political 
agitator.  He  is  in  prison  for  his  faith  in  Christ. 
And  his  noble  bearing  as  a  captive  is  commending 
that  faith  to  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact,    in 


Philippians  i.  12-26  171 

the  palace  (A.V.)  is  a  translation  that  still  has  some 
defenders.  While  no  native  Roman  would  ever 
use  the  word  prcetorium  in  this  sense^  it  is  suggested 
that  a  provincial  like  Paul  might  make  this 
mistake !  But  the  rendering  in  the  R.V.  is  much 
better.  The  Praetorian  Guard  consisted  of  10^000 
picked  men^  and  not  a  few  of  them  were  hearing 
the  name  of  Christ.  Mommsen  and  Ramsay- 
suggest  that  the  word  refers  rather  to  "the 
judicial  authorities"  before  whom  Paul  has  already- 
appeared  ;  but  this  idea  lacks  corroboration. 

14.  waxing  confident.  Paul's  arrival  in  Rome, 
even  as  a  prisoner,,  thrills  the  church  there  like 
the  coming  of  a  general  to  a  weak  and  dispirited 
army.  His  mere  presence  has  a  quickening  and 
reassuring  effect.  Despondency,  doubt,  and  fear 
are  put  to  shame  by  his  invincible  spirit. 

"  Languor  is  not  in  your  heart, 
Weakness  is  not  in  your  word, 
Weariness  not  in  your  brow. 
.     At  your  voice, 
Panic,  despair,  flee  away." 

15-17.  envy  and  strife  .  .  .  faction.  Some 
preached  Christ  in  a  spirit  of  rivalry.  They  were 
moved  by  jealousy  to  publish  Love  Divine!  They 
were  slack  in  the  work  of  evangelising  till  they 
received  this  strange  and  sinister  inspiration.  We 
cannot  suppose  that  they  were  Judaisers.  If  they 
had  been,  Paul  must  have  condemned  instead  of 
commending  their  preaching.  They  were  orthodox 
men  who  loved  the  pre-eminence.  They  preached 
not  because  of  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  love  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  or  a  desire  to  save  souls, 
but  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  another  preacher 


172  Westminster  New  Testament 

into  the  shade.  They  thought  it  would  be  a  bitter 
thing  for  Paul  in  prison — it  -would  add  affliction 
to  his  bonds — to  hear  of  their  success.  They  did 
not  know  that  great  soul.  He  rejoices  in  their 
preaching.  He  disregards  their  motives  and  thinks 
only  of  their  message.  They  are  making  Christ's 
name  to  resound  through  the  city,  and  that  is 
enough  for  him.  If  there  are  many  greater 
preachers  in  Rome  than  Paul^  no  one  is  so  glad  as 
Paul.     How  Christ  will  be  magnified  ! 

*'  Lo,  I  rejoice 
In  thy  success  as  thou  !     Let  our  God's  praise 
Go  bravely  through  the  world  at  last !     What  care 
Through  me  or  thee  ?  " 

19.  to  my  salvation.  Paul  is  still  seeking 
salvation  !  Not  in  the  narrow  sense  of  the  word 
— the  forgiveness  of  sin.  He  received  that  long 
ago,  but  he  is  not  satisfied.  He  is  pricked  with  a 
holy  discontent.  He  seeks  a  full,  perfect,  final 
salvation,  the  Supply.  It  is  difficult  to  decide 
between  the  two  renderings,  "the  supply  which 
the  Spirit  gives,"  and  "the  supply  which  is  the 
Spirit."  Both  are  grammatically  correct,  and  each 
gives  a  good  sense. 

20.  ashamed,  in  the  sense  of  "  shamed,"  put  to 
shame  by  others.  There  is  no  fear  of  Paul's  ever 
being  ashamed  to  own  his  Lord.  But  he  is  about 
to  be  tried  again,  and  he  wants  to  comport  himself 
with  such  calm  confidence  before  his  judges  that, 
instead  of  being  covered  with  shame,  he  may,  living 
or  dying,  glorify  Christ.  His  keen  sense  of  personal 
honour  is  rooted  in  his  single-minded  desire  for  the 
honour  of  his  Lord.  Enough  if  he  can  be  sure  that 
"  whatever  record  leaps  to  light,  HE  never  shall  be 
shamed." 


Philippians  i.  12-26  173 

21.  to  live  is  Christ.  "  Paul  has  no  honour  and 
no  friend  but  Christ."  tO  die  is  gain.  The  natural 
thought  is  that  death  ends  all.  "  Linqiienda  dovuis 
et  tellus  et  placens  uxor,"  sighs  Horace.  The  rest  is 
darkness.  No^  says  Paul,  to  die  is  gain.  For  to 
die,  as  to  live,  is  Christ ! 

22.  if  to  live.  The  construction  of  this  verse  is 
doubtful.  The  R.V.  and  its  margin  show  the 
possible  renderings  of  the  Greek  words.  The 
sense  seems  to  be,  that  Paul  would  desire  death  as 
gain,  unless  the  proper  result  of  his  labours  should 
be  his  continuance  in  life,  and  then  he  would  be  in 
a  dilemma. 

23.  in  a  strait.  Hemmed  in  between  two 
alternatives.  To  the  apostle  life  and  death  are  both 
desirable  things.  He  is  willing  to  depart,  not 
because  he  sighs  for  rest,  but  because  to  die  is  to 
be  with  Christ ;  and  willing  to  remain,  because  life 
means  labour  for  the  welfare  of  those  whom  he  loves. 
The  shepherd  is  ready  to  stay  with  his  flock,  the 
pilot  at  his  wheel,  the  sentry  at  his  post.  tO 
depart.  Literally,  to  unmoor  one's  vessel  and  put 
out  to  sea,  or  to  strike  one's  tent  and  silently  move 
away  (cf.  2  Tim.  iv.  6.).  tO  be  with  Christ.  Paul 
no  longer  thinks  of  death  as  a  sleep  till  the  second 
advent  (1  Thess.  iv.  14).  It  is  an  immediate  en- 
trance into  the  joy  of  his  Lord.  The  upper  room 
of  the  Father's  House,  with  the  glorious  Presence, 
the  beatific  Vision,  is  very  far  better  than  any- 
thing on  earth. 

"  We  bow  our  heads  at  going  out,  we  think, 
And  enter  straight  another  golden  chamber  of  the  King's, 
Larger  than  this  we  leave,  and  lovelier." 

25.   I  know.  This  is  not  an  inspired  prophecy. 


174  Westminster  New  Testament 

but  a  personal  conviction.   Christ's  Church  still  needs 
the  apostle,  and  he  is  immortal  till  his  work  is  done. 

Phil.  i.  27-30. 
THE  LIFE  WORTHY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

27  Only  let  your  conversation  be  as  it  becometh  the  gospel  of 
Christ :  that  whether  I  come  and  see  you,  or  else  be 
absent,  I  may  hear  of  your  affairs,  that  ye  stand  fast  in  one 
spirit,  with  one  mind  striving  together  for  the  faith  of  the 

28  gospel  ;  and  in  nothing  terrified  by  your  adversaries  : 
which  is  to  them  an  evident  token  of  perdition,  but  to  you 

29  of  salvation,  and  that  of  God.  For  unto  you  it  is  given  in 
the  behalf  of  Christ,  not  only  to  believe  on  him,  but  also 

30  to  suffer  for  his  sake  ;  having  the  same  conflict  which  ye 
saw  in  me,  and  now  hear  to  be  in  me. 

There  is  a  manner  of  life,  a  style  of  living,  that  is 
worthy  of  the  gospel,  giving  fitting  expression  to 
its  principles  in  the  sphere  of  duty.  The  notes  of 
this  life  are  steadfastness  and  unity  of  spirit,  activity 
on  behalf  of  the  gospel,  courage  in  the  face  of 
opposition.  The  heroism  which  God  gives  to  those 
who  toil  and  suffer  for  Him  is  a  prophecy  of  their 
final  salvation. 

27.  manner  of  life.  Literally,  «^*^Only  live-as- 
citizens  worthily  of  the  gospel."  The  corresponding 
noun,  "  citizenship,"  or  citizen-life,  is  found  in  iii.  20. 
If  you  are  citizens  of  the  eternal  kingdom  of  God, 
live  up  to,  in  harmony  with,  this  great  conception. 
"  What  manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  ?  "  one 
spirit  .  .  .  one  soul.  Paul  does  not  make  fine 
psychological  distinctions,  but  uses  popular  lan- 
guage. This  is  the  first  of  several  exhortations  to 
unity  in  the  Philippian  Church.  There  seems  to 
have  been   some  slight  clashing  of  opinions   and 


Philippians  ii.  i-ii  175 

crossing  of  wills  among  a  few  of  its  members.  Paul 
rallies  the  whole  Church  to  contend  for  something 
far  higher  than  little  personal  victories — to  strive 
for  the  faith  of  the  gospel.  "Faith"  has  here 
its  usual  meaning  of  personal  trust  in  Christ  as  the 
Saviour,  which  is  the  active  principle  of  the  whole 
Christian  life.  Not  till  we  come  to  the  Pastorals 
do  we  find  the  word  used  in  the  sense  of  an 
objective  faith,  a  formulated  creed. 

28.  the  adversaries.  Heathen  opponents. 
token  of  perdition  .  .  .  salvation.  The  heroism 
of  the  saints  is  itself  a  prophecy  or  omen  of  the 
issue  of  their  conflict.  The  very  spirit  in  which 
they  fight  is  an  indication  that  they  are  on  the 
winning  side  and  their  adversaries  doomed  to 
disaster.  Faith  must  be  triumphant,  it  must  issue 
in  salvation,  final  and  complete,  which  is  mean- 
while a  future  boon  for  "  saved  "  men. 

29.  granted  ...  to  suffer.  A  paradox.  God 
rewards  the  faithful  by  giving  them  the  opportunity 
and  prerogative  of  suffering.  Adversity,  as  Bacon 
said,  is  the  blessing  of  the  N.T.  A  brave  soldier 
counts  it  the  highest  honour  to  be  sent  into  the 
fighting  line,  where  the  dangers  are  greatest  and 
wounds  are  most  plentiful. 

30.  the  same  conflict.  A  metaphor  of  the 
arena.  Christians  are  God's  athletes,  wrestling 
(lit.  "agonising")  in  the  power  of  faith  and  over- 
throwing all  their  spiritual  foes. 

Phil.  ii.  i-ii. 

THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  JESUS. 

If  there   be   therefore  any  consolation   in   Christ,  if  any 
comfort   of  love,  if  any  fellowship   of  the  Spirit,  if  any 


176  Westminster  New  Testament 

2  bowels  and  mercies,  fulfil  ye  my  joy,  that  ye  be  likeminded, 
having  the  same  love,  being  of  one  accord,  of  one  mind. 

3  Let  nothing  be  done  through  strife  or  vainglory ;  but  in 
lowliness  of  mind  let  each  esteem  other  better  than  them- 

4  selves.     Look  not  every  man  on  his  own  things,  but  every 

5  naan  also  on  the  things  of  others.     Let  this  naind  be  in  you, 

6  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus  :  who,  being  in  the  form  of 

7  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  :  but 
made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the  form 

8  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men  :  and 
being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and 
became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross. 

9  Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  given 

10  him  a  name  which  is  above  every  name  :  that  at  the  name 
of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and 

1 1  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth  ;  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father. 

This  splendid  passage  on  the  Person  of  Christ  is 
not  part  of  a  theological  discussion.  It  emerges 
naturally  in  the  course  of  a  pathetic  plea  for 
harmony  of  spirit,  brotherly  love,  lowliness  of  mind. 
These  graces  are  commended,  not  by  moral  rhetoric, 
but  by  a  simple,  resistless  appeal  to  the  supreme 
example  of  Christ.  He  who  was  the  Highest 
stooped  to  be  the  lowest  of  all.  He  emptied  Him- 
self of  His  Divine  condition.  Humanity,  service, 
obedience  unto  death,  the  shame  and  anguish  of 
the  Cross,  were  the  degrees  of  His  descent.  God 
has  rewarded  His  humiliation  with  an  exaltation 
above  all  creatures,  and  a  Name  which  commands 
universal  homage. 

1.  Paul  returns  to  his  earnest  plea  for  that 
unity  of  spirit  which  is  sister  to  lowliness  of  mind 
(i.  27,  ii.  3).     He  appeals  first  to  certain  invariable 


Philippians  ii.  i-ii  177 

concomitants  of  genuine  faith,  which  cannot  but 
tend  to  foster  these  graces.  There  is  a  comfort,  a 
consolation,  a  fellowship,  a  compassion,  which  are 
in  their  very  nature  self-forgetful,  social,  unifying. 
In  the  measure  in  which  they  are  active,  they  weld 
a  church  into  a  true  and  strong  brotherhood. 

2.  my  joy.  Pastoral  joy.  Paul's  happiness  in 
his  Philippian  Church  is  already  great,  and  they 
can  fulfil  it — absolutely  perfect  it — by  unity  and 
harmony  of  spirit.  They  will  not  refuse  him  this 
joy;  they  cannot  grieve  his  spirit.  Such  is  his 
second  plea — a  boldly  personal  one,  which  he 
knows  he  has  earned  the  right  to  urge.  same 
.  .  .  same  .  .  .  one  .  .  .  one.  Paul  uses  the 

tautology  of  earnestness.  Every  Christian  has  his 
individual  characteristics,  and  no  man  is  of  much 
use  to  the  Church  unless  he  has  a  mind,  a  will,  an 
ideal  of  his  own.  Yet  all  Christians  are  animated 
by  one  and  the  same  Spirit.  "  We  have  the  mind 
of  Christ." 

3.  faction  and  vainglory.  Personal  ambition 
and  vanity  should  have  no  place  in  the  society  of 
Jesus.  The  greatest  is  he  who  humbles  himself 
as  a  little  child,  lowliness  of  mind.  Augustine 
called  humility  the  first,  second,  and  third 
Christian  grace.  In  classical  Greek  the  word 
was  always  used  contemptuously  for  meanness  or 
abjectness  of  spirit.  Christianity  gave  it  a  new 
ethical  content,  making  it  the  expression  of  that 
new  spirit  which  came  into  the  world  with  Christ 
— the  lowliness  which  is  the  condition  and  the 
index  of  true  greatness  (see  Matt.  xi.  29). 

5.  this  mind.  The  Christian  is  one  who  has, 
in  the  highest  sense,  come  to  his  right  mind. 
This  is  the  mind  of  Christ,  who  is  every  man's 

12 


178  Westminster  New  Testament 

true  self.     Animated  by   His  Spirit,  we  at  once 
begin  the  realisation  of  our  ideal  manhood. 

6.  form  of  God.  The  word  "  form  "  signifies 
both  reality  and  appearance.  In  His  pre-incarnate 
state  Christ  was  really  God,  and  He  was  manifested 
as  God,  not  yet  to  man,  but  to  spiritual  intelligences. 
a  prize.  A  thing  to  be  grasped  at,  violently  and 
prematurely  seized.  It  will  not  do  to  interpret 
this  as  meaning,  "He  counted  not  equality  with 
God  a  thbig  to  be  held  fast''  It  is  not  a  question  of 
retaining  but  of  attaining.  The  prize  is  still  in  the 
future.  It  has  to  be  won.  Christ  would  not  at 
once  claim  the  value  of  God  among  men ;  He 
would  not  compel  them  straightway  to  fall  down 
and  worship  Him  as  Divine.  He  would  labour  and 
suffer  and  wait.  His  Divine  honours  must  not  be 
snatched  before  the  time  ;  they  must  come  to  Him 
at  the  end  and  as  the  reward  of  a  career  of  self- 
renunciation.  He  would  take  no  royal  road,  no 
short  cut,  to  the  lordship  of  human  hearts  (see 
Matt.  iv.  1-10).  As  if  the  highest  place  were  not 
already  His  by  right.  He  would  win  it  by  lowly 
love  and  perfect  sacrifice. 

7.  emptied  himself.  Not  of  His  Divine 
nature,  but  of  the  glories  and  prerogatives  of 
God.  "Veiled  in  flesh  the  Godhead  see.  Mild, 
He  lays  His  glory  by."  form  of  a  servant.  As 
above,  the  word  "form  "  again  implies  that  He  was 
what  He  seemed  to  be — now  a  servant,  or  rather 
a  bond-servant,  the  likeness  of  men.  "  Like- 
ness" expresses  similarity  without  sameness, 
which  is  here  a  most  important  distinction.  He 
was  man,  but  with  a  mysterious  difference.  His 
manhood  was  not  His  whole  self.  It  did  not 
exhaust  His  significance.     The  very  fact  that  He 


Philippians  ii.  12-18  179 

habitually  called  Himself  the  Son  of  Man  indicated 
a  consciousness  of  something  far  higher  and  grander. 

8.  in  fashion  as  a  man.  "  In  appearance/'  in 
outward  guise,  in  what  appealed  to  the  senses. 
He  was  a  man.  There  was  no  aureole  round  His 
head,  no  Divine  form  or  comeliness,  obedient. 
That  is,  unto  God,  whose  will  it  was  that  He 
should  suffer,  the  cross.  It  is  now  the  beauti- 
ful symbol  of  the  religion  of  holiness  and  love. 
But  in  ancient  minds  it  aroused  the  same  feelings 
of  revulsion  and  horror  as  the  gibbet  does  in  ours. 
"  Far  be  the  very  name  of  the  cross,"  cried  Cicero, 
"  not  only  from  the  bodies  of  Roman  citizens,  but 
from  their  imagination,  eyes,  and  ears  !  " 

9-11.  exalted  him.  By  the  valley  of  humilia- 
tion He  came  to  the  highest  celestial  altitudes. 
This  is  the  finest  illustration  of  His  own  words  in 
Matt,  xxiii.  12.  the  name.  The  great  Name  given 
to  Christ  was  The  Lord.  In  O.T.  Greek  this  was 
the  glorious  Divine  Name,  taking  the  place  of  the 
Hebrew  "^  Jahveh,"  which  came  to  be  regarded  as 
too  sacred  for  human  lips  to  utter.  In  the  very 
first  age  of  the  Christian  Church  it  was  transferred 
by  all  believers — many  of  them  passionate  mono- 
theists — to  the  crucified  and  risen  Christ.  It  was 
God's  purpose,  they  believed,  that  every  tongue 
should  praise  Him  and  acknowledge  Him  to  be 
the  Lord  !     This  is  Divinity  indeed. 

Phil.  ii.  12-18. 

WORKING  OUT  SALVATION. 

12  Wherefore,  my  beloved,  as  ye  have  always  obeyed,  not  as 
in  my  presence  only,  but  now  much  more  in  my  absence, 
work   out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and   trembling. 


i8o  Westminster  New  Testament 

13  For  it  is  God  which  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to 

14  do  of  his  good  pleasure.     Do  all  things  without  murmur- 

15  ings  and  disputings  :  that  ye  may  be  blameless  and  harm- 
less, the  sons  of  God,  without  rebuke,  in  the  midst  of  a 
crooked  and  perverse  nation,  among  whom  ye  shine  as 

16  lights  in  the  world  ;  holding  forth  the  word  of  life  ;  that 
I  may  rejoice  in  the  day  of  Christ,  that  I  have  not  run  in 

17  vain,  neither  laboured  in  vain.  Yea,  and  if  I  be  offered 
upon  the   sacrifice  and   service  of  your  faith,   I  joy,  and 

18  rejoice  with  you  all.  For  the  same  cause  also  do  ye  joy, 
and  rejoice  with  me. 

There  is  nothing  that  quickens  the  moral  life 
of  man  like  a  passion  for  Christ.  In  view  of  His 
humiliation  and  exaltation  the  Philippians  are 
exhorted  to  work  out  for  themselves  a  full  salva- 
tion^ co-operating  herein  with  God,  the  supreme 
Worker.  By  thankful,  peaceful,  unblamable  lives 
let  them  shine  in  the  world.  Let  them  convince 
the  apostle  that  his  toil  has  not  been  fruitless. 
He  and  they,  like  all  other  Christians,  are  priests 
bringing  offerings  to  God ;  and  if  his  libation 
must  be  his  own  blood,  he  is  ready  to  make  it. 
Let  the  martyr's  death  be  an  occasion  of  triumph 
in  the  Church. 

12.  my  beloved.  The  true  pastor  loves  his 
church  as  a  lover  his  bride,  your  salvation  : 
in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  splendid  term.  As 
believers,  they  are  already  saved  ;  let  them  work 
out  a  complete  salvation.  They  have  within 
them  the  germ  of  the  perfect  life ;  let  them 
labour  to  bring  it  to  full  fruition.  Work  out  what 
God  is  working  in !  He  gives  all  His  resources 
to  any  one  who  will  be  His  fellow-labourer.  ''  All 
the  work  of  the  world,"  says  a  man  of  science, 
"  is  merely  a  taking  advantage  of  energies  already 


Philippians  ii.  12-18  181 

there."  fear  and  trembling.  Not  the  abject 
terror  of  bond-service^  but  the  sensitive  fear  of 
love,  which  will  leave  nothing  undone,  and 
always  aims  at  perfection  (see  Eph.  vi.  5). 

13,  14-.  to  will  ...  to  work.  God  both 
awakens  the  desire  for  salvation  and  enables  us  to 
attain  it.  He  creates  a  passion  for  the  ideal,  and 
brings  it  within  our  reach.  He  takes  infinite  pains 
with  us.  He  works  wisely  and  effectually,  never 
overpowering  our  wills,  but  treating  us  as  rational 
beings  who  are  to  be  constrained,  not  compelled, 
to  let  Him  have  His  way  with  us.  Faith  works 
with  Him  towards  the  realising  of  all  His  good 
pleasure,  His  perfect  satisfaction. 

15.  lights  in  the  world  (see  Matt.  v.  14). 
'^  Murmuring  and  disputing,"  like  every  other 
"  blemish "  of  character,  dim  our  spiritual  light. 
children  of  God  should  have  the  likeness  of 
the  royal  family  of  heaven.  The  crooked  and 
perverse,  who  dwell  in  the  world  around  us, 
ought  to  see  at  a  glance  that  the  believer's  life  has 
been  straightened  out. 

16.  run  .  .  .  labour.  Both  are  favourite  words 
in  Paul's  vocabulary,  suggestive  of  the  high 
pressure  at  which  he  lives.  For  him  the  world 
is  an  arena  in  which  men  must  run,  a  sounding 
labour-house  vast  in  which  they  must  toil.  And 
he  hopes  it  is  not  all  an  effort  unmeaning  and 
vain.  May  there  be  something  to  glory  of  in  the 
crowning  day — the  day  of  Christ,  who  will 
award  the  prizes. 

17.  I  am  offered.  Poured  out  as  a  Hbation 
or  drink-offering.  Paul  thinks  of  the  Philippians 
as  Christian  priests,  who  offer  faith  and  all  its 
fruits  as  a  sacrifice  and  service  to  God.     If,  over 


i82  Westminster  New  Testament 

and  above  this  sacrifice  of  theirs,  he  must  pour 
out^  as  from  a  wine-cup,  his  own  heart's  blood,  he 
will  not  grieve.  He  rejoices  to  give  the  best  to 
the  Highest,  and  he  bids  others  rejoice  as  they 
think  of  love's  final  sacrifice. 


Phil.  ii.  19-30. 
FELLOW- WORKERS. 

19  But  I  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  to  send  Timotheus  shortly 
unto  you,  that  I  also  may  be  of  good  comfort,  when  I 

20  know  your  state.     For  I  have  no  man  likeminded,  who 

21  will  naturally  care  for  your  state.     For  all  seek  their  own, 

22  not  the  things  which  are  Jesus  Christ's.  But  ye  know  the 
proof  of  him,   that,   as  a   son  with   the   father,   he   hath 

23  served  with  me  in  the  gospel.  Him  therefore  I  hope  to 
send  presently,  so  soon  as  I  shall  see  how  it  will  go  with 

24  me.     But  I  trust  in  the  Lord  that  I  also  myself  shall  come 

25  shortly.  Yet  I  supposed  it  necessary  to  send  to  you 
Epaphroditus,  my  brother,  and  companion  in  labour,  and 
fellowsoldier,  but  your  messenger,  and  he  that  ministered 

26  to  my  wants.  For  he  longed  after  you  all,  and  was  full 
of  heaviness,  because  that  ye  had  heard  that  he  had  been 

27  sick.  For  indeed  he  was  sick  nigh  unto  death  :  but  God 
had  mercy  on  him  ;  and  not  on  him  only,  but  on  me  also, 

28  lest  I  should  have  sorrow  upon  sorrow.  I  sent  him  there- 
fore the  more  carefully,  that,  when  ye  see  him  again,  ye 
may    rejoice,    and    that    I    may   be    the    less    sorrowful. 

29  Receive  him  therefore  in  the  Lord  with  all  gladness ;  and 

30  hold  such  in  reputation  :  because  for  the  work  of  Christ 
he  was  nigh  unto  death,  not  regarding  his  life,  to  supply 
your  lack  of  service  toward  me. 

Paul  is  happy  in  his  fellow-workers^  and  no 
wonder,  for  how  he  loves,  honours,  and  trusts 
them  !     Here  we  get  a  brief  but  charming  glimpse 


Philippians  ii.  19-30  183 

of  two  of  them.  Timothy  has  ever  the  warmest 
place  in  that  great  heart.  No  man  is  quite  like 
him.  He  does  not,  like  so  many,  serve  his  own 
interests.  From  the  first  there  has  been  an  elective 
affinity  between  him  and  the  apostle,  who  always 
thinks  of  him  as  a  son.  Epaphroditus'  portrait, 
sketched  here  and  nowhere  else,  is  also  singularly 
beautiful.  He  is  an  altruist,  with  a  heart  always  at 
leisure  from  itself.  He  lives  to  run  the  errands  of 
others.  He  hazards  his  life  for  the  sake  of  others. 
In  sickness  he  is  troubled  only  by  the  trouble  of 
others.  Such  a  man  is  to  be  welcomed  with  joy 
and  held  in  honour  everywhere. 

19-1  hope.  Hopes  and  fears  pursue  each  other 
in  Paul's  mind.  His  end  may  not  be  yet.  Perhaps 
it  will  be  possible  ere  long  to  spare  Timothy. 

20.  no  man  likeminded.  Literally,  "equal- 
souled."  Timothy  is  the  man  after  Paul's  own 
heart.  No  other  comrade  has  a  "soul"  of  just 
the  same  fine  fibre.  The  Philippians  know  what 
he  is,  for  they  have  put  him  to  the  proof.  He 
was  with  Paul  at  the  founding  of  the  Philippian 
Church  (Acts  xvi.).  care  truly.  It  is  in  this 
aspect  that  Timothy  most  resembles  Paul — in  his 
anxiety  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  churches. 

21.  all  seek  their  own.  Strong  words,  uttered 
under  some  keen  sense  of  disappointment.  To  be 
a  Christian  and  to  prefer  one's  own  things  to  those 
of  Christ,  seeking  comfort  and  ease,  shirking  duty 
and  danger — this  seems  a  contradiction  in  terms. 
It  is  to  lose  life  in  trying  to  find  it. 

22.  serveth  .  .  .  serveth  with.  The  added 
"with"  in  the  second  clause  is  very  suggestive. 
Paul  was  about  to  say,  "  As  a  son  serveth  his  father, 
so   Timothy  serveth  me."     But  he  checks  himself 


i84  Westminster  New  Testament 

midway,  struck  with  a  sudden  fear  of  seeming 
too  masterful,  and  gives  the  sentence  another  turn  : 
^^he  serveth  ivith  me."  Paul  and  Timothy  are 
brethren,  both  alike  servants  of  Christ.  It  is  a 
touching  proof  of  the  apostle's  simplicity  and 
humility. 

23.  I  shall  see  how.  His  vision  is  limited. 
He  waits  the  issue  in  uncertainty.  He  modifies 
his  first  strong  "I  know"  (i.  25)  into  "I  hope" 
(twice,  vers.  19,  23)  and  "I  trust"  (ver.  24). 

25.  my  brother.  Paul  and  Epaphroditus  are 
brothers,  living  in  the  same  spiritual  household ; 
fellow-workers,  labouring  in  the  same  business ; 
fellow-soldiers,  fighting  in  the  same  army — 
the  household,  the  business,  the  army  of  Christ. 
your  messenger.  Lit.  "your  angel,"  sent  from 
the  Philippians  with  the  tribute  of  their  affection. 
He  was  also  their  apostle  and  their  priestly 
minister.  All  these  words  are  carefully  chosen 
for  their  sacred  and  honourable  associations ;  so 
highly  does  Paul  magnify  the  office  of  this  alms- 
bearer,  almost  putting  a  halo  round  his  head. 

26.  he  was  troubled.  Not  because  he  was 
sick,  but  because  they  had  heard  that  he  was  sick. 
He  was  troubled  because  he  knew  their  hearts 
were  troubled  about  him.  Their  anxiety  distressed 
him  more  than  his  own  almost  fatal  sickness. 
This  is  the  acme  of  self-forgetfulness. 

27.  sorrow  upon  sorrow,  like  wave  after 
wave.  To  Epaphroditus  as  to  Paul  death  would 
no  doubt  be  a  gain  (i.  21),  a  transition  of  which  one 
might  think  with  joy  (ii.  18).  Yet  Paul  is  very 
human,  and  he  feels  how  real  a  sorrow  the  death 
of  a  true  friend  would  be  to  him  !  God  in  mercy 
spares  him  that  grief. 


Philippians  iii.  1-14  185 

29.  in  the  Lord.  On  his  return  Epaphroditus 
must  receive  a  welcome  home.  How  well  he  will 
have  deserved  one  !  It  is  to  be  with  all  joy,  and  it 
will  be  so  much  the  sweeter  if  it  is  hallowed  by  the 
sense  of  the  presence  of  Christ  Himself — if  it  is  a 
welcome  "in  the  Lord." 

30.  hazarding  his  life.  A  figure  taken  from 
gambling.  Paul  often  watched  the  Roman  soldiers 
around  him  eagerly  throwing  dice.  He  saw  some 
reckless  fellow  put  his  all  into  a  venture.  Could 
faith  in  Christ  induce  a  man  to  risk  as  much  ?  Epaph- 
roditus' noble  conduct  was  the  answer.  He  ventured 
all  for  Christ's  sake,  lacking.  The  only  thing  which 
was  lacking  in  the  Philippians'  holy  service — their 
sacrificial  offering  of  love — was  the  presentation  of 
their  gift  to  the  apostle.  This  was  Epaphroditus' 
task,  and  in  fulfilling  it  he  came  very  near  the  gates 
of  death. 

Phil.  iii.  1-14. 

NO  CONFIDENCE  IN  THE  FLESH. 

Finally,  my  brethren,  rejoice  in  the  Lord.     To  write  the 
same  things  to  you,  to  me  indeed  is  not  grievous,  but  for 

2  you  it  is  safe.     Beware  of  dogs,  beware  of  evil  workers, 

3  beware  of  the  concision.  For  we  are  the  circumcision, 
which   worship   God   in   the   spirit,  and  rejoice  in  Christ 

4  Jesus,  and  have  no  confidence  in  the  flesh.  Though  I 
might  also  have  confidence  in  the  flesh.  If  any  other  man 
thinketh  that  he  hath  whereof  he  might  trust  in  the  flesh, 

5  I  more  :  circumcised  the  eighth  day,  of  the  stock  of  Israel, 
of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  an  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews ;  as 

6  touching  the  law,  a  Pharisee  ;  concerning  zeal,  persecuting 
the  church ;   touching  the  righteousness  which  is  in  the 

7  law,  blameless.     But  what  things  were  gain  to  me,  those 

8  I  counted  loss  for  Christ.     Yea  doubtless,  and  I  count  all 


i86  Westminster  New  Testament 

things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  ot 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord  :  for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss 
of  all  things,  and  do  count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may  win 
9  Christ,  and  be  found  in  him,  not  having  mine  own 
righteousness,  which  is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is 
through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of 

10  God  by  faith  :  that  I  may  know  him,  and  the  power  of  his 
resurrection,    and   the   fellowship  of  his  sufferings,   being 

1 1  made   conformable   unto  his  death ;    if  by  any  means  I 

12  might  attain  unto  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  Not  as 
though  I  had  already  attained,  either  were  already  perfect : 
but  I  follow  after,  if  that  I  may  apprehend  that  for  which 

13  also  I  am  apprehended  of  Christ  Jesus.  Brethren,  I  count 
not  myself  to  have  apprehended  :  but  this  one  thing  I  do, 
forgetting   those   things  which   are  behind,   and  reaching 

14  forth  unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I  press  toward  the 
mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 

In  these  fourteen  verses  "  I "  occurs  fourteen 
times.  The  paragraph  contains  the  writer's  spiritual 
autobiography.  The  first  part  of  it  tells  of  Saul 
the  Pharisee^  the  second  of  Paul  the  Christian. 
The  Pharisee  had  every  conceivable  earthly  advan- 
tage :  he  belonged  to  all  the  aristocracies,  social, 
intellectual,  spiritual ;  and  he  counted  his  gains  as 
joyfully  as  a  miser  his  gold.  But  to  be  a  Christian 
he  threw  every  advantage  and  every  privilege  away  ; 
he  counted  the  world  well  lost  for  Christ ;  he  sought 
and  found  the  righteousness  of  God  through  faith. 
And  now  his  one  ambition  is  to  become  perfectly 
Christlike.  This  is  the  ideal  towards  which  he 
eagerly  presses,  like  a  runner  speeding  to  his  goal. 

1.  rejoice.  There  is  a  shade  of  difference 
between  "rejoice-in  the  Lord"  and  "rejoice  in- 
the-Lord."  The  second  is  the  meaning  here.  The 
Lord's  fellowship  is  for  believers  the  sphere  and 


Philippians  iii.  1-14  187 

element  of  spiritual  joy.  Paul  would  not  have  the 
Christian  mind  "  to  anchor  by  one  gloomy  thought." 
In  Christ's  presence  is  (here  and  now)  fulness  of 
joy.  the  same  things :  as  he  had  written  in 
previous  letters,  or  spoken  in  his  addresses,  not 
irksome  :  to  go  over  the  lesson  again  and  again,  to 
make  the  truth  impressive  by  reiteration.  Paul 
seems  to  be  drawing  his  letter  to  a  close,  when 
suddenly  he  thinks  of  a  danger  to  his  beloved  con- 
verts of  which  he  must  write  once  more.  Has  news 
just  reached  him  of  a  meditated  attack  by  the 
Judaisers  on  a  church  that  has  hitherto  been  safe  ? 

2.  the  dogs.  In  the  East  the  dogs  live  in  the 
streets,  homeless  and  ownerless.  In  Constantinople 
there  are  to-day  six  thousand  of  them  that  belong 
to  nobody  but  the  Sultan.  Before  Christ  came  the 
Jew  had  long  thought  of  the  Gentiles  as  dogs.  In 
the  shelter  of  his  spiritual  home,  where  his  God 
cared  for  him,  he  sometimes  pitied  but  mostly 
despised  those  outcasts  who  had  no  roof  for  their 
heads.  But  Paul  has  come  to  know  better.  The 
proud  JeM's  have  made  themselves  the  wanderers, 
the  outcasts — the  dogS — while  the  Christian  has 
found  the  true  home  of  the  soul,  evil  workers  : 
counteracting  the  good  done  by  the  evangelists  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  concision.  Paul  has  now  come 
to  think  of  circumcision  as  a  mere  mutilation. 
Physical  gashing  can  never  save  the  soul.  Such 
strong  language  has  of  course  no  bearing  on  the 
question  of  the  hygienic  value  of  the  ancient  rite. 
It  is  necessary  for  the  exposure  of  a  superstition. 

3.  the  circumcision  :  which,  in  its  only  per- 
manent religious  significance,  is  "of  the  heart" 
(Rom.  ii.  29).  The  Christian  proves  that  he  has  it 
by  three  things :  he  knows  how  to  worship — not 


1 88  Westminster  New  Testament 

with  ritual  but  by  the  Spirit ;  what  to  boast  of — 
not  of  national  privileges  but  of  the  world's  Saviour; 
what  to  put  his  confidence  in — not  in  the  flesh 
but  in  that  Saviour's  merits. 

4.  the  flesh.  Man's  condition  before  he  becomes 
a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus ;  the  old  self ;  the 
natural  man. 

5.  Israel  was  a  chosen  race,  Benjamin  a  noble 
tribe,  an  Hebrew  of  Hebrews  the  speaker  of  a 

sacred  language,  and  a  Pharisee  an  enthusiast  for 
Divine  laws.  Such  an  enthusiast  was  Paul,  speak- 
ing that  language,  sprung  from  that  tribe  and  race  ! 

7.  gain  .  .  .  loss.  Paul  wrote  gains.  He 
had  often  counted  them,  and  his  heart  glowed  at 
the  discovery  that  he  had  perhaps  more  to  his 
credit  than  any  man  living.  What  blood  was  in 
his  veins  ;  how  noble  his  extraction  ;  how  strict  his 
legalism  ;  how  blameless  his  life  I  These  were  his 
assets,  and  he  had  no  debts.  But  there  came  a 
time  when  he  transferred  all  his  gains  to  the  other 
side  of  the  account,  massing  them  together  as  so 
much  "loss  for  Christ."  On  the  vacant  side  of 
"gain"  he  then  wrote  the  one  word  Christ, 
and  knew  that  he  was  still  the  richest  man  in  the 
world. 

8.  the  excellency.  The  surpassing  value ;  the 
magnificence,  the  knowledge.  There  is  a  kind 
of  knowledge  that  merely  flatters  and  puffs  up  its 
possessor,  but  this  kind  edifies  like  love  itself.  To 
know  Christ  is  the  highest  wisdom  and  science,  my 
Lord.  Paul  usually  writes  "  our  Lord,"  but  in  this 
intensely  personal  passage  he  grapples  his  Divine 
Friend  to  his  own  soul  with  hoops  of  steel.  The 
comfort  of  the  Bible,  Luther  used  to  say,  lies  in 
the  personal  pronouns,     loss  of  all  things.    In 


Philippians  iii.  1-14  189 

our  own  day  the  Jew  who  becomes  a  Christian  is 
still  disowned  and  disinherited.  Sometimes  the 
burial  service  is  read  for  him  by  his  kinsfolk.  He 
is  dead  to  them ! 

9.  righteousness  ...  of  God.  This  was 
the  gift  of  God  to  penitent  sinners  united  by 
faith  to  Jesus  Christ.  A  splendid  new  concep- 
tion, supplanting  the  old  idea  of  righteousness 
by  law-abiding.  "  Paul  taught  the  whole  world 
righteousness/'  says  Clement  of  Rome. 

10.  resurrection  .  .  .  sufferings.  Paul  de- 
sires to  share  Christ's  victorious  power  and  His 
sacrificial  pain.  The  resurrection  of  Christ,  a  fact 
of  history,  becomes  to  every  believer  a  fact  of 
experience.  Faith  in  it  makes  a  man  an  optimist. 
Its  uplifting  power  is  immeasurable.  Paul  also 
desires  to  have  fellowship  with  Christ's  sufferings, 
through  profound  sympathy  with  the  world's  sorrow 
and  need.  He  desires  to  become  conformed  unto 
His  death,  to  be  ready  for  love's  last  and  perfect 
sacrifice  (cf.  1  John  iii.  l6). 

12.  not  .  .  .  made  perfect.  Saul  the  Pharisee 
thought  himself  ^^ blameless"  (ver.  6),  but  Paul 
the  Christian  knows  better.  He  has  not  attained. 
The  glittering  heights  of  holiness  are  still  far 
above  him.  He  feels  the  immense  stimulus  of  an 
unrealised  ideal.  Christ  apprehended  him  long 
ago,  and  bade  him  apprehend  perfection.  "A 
man's  reach  should  exceed  his  grasp,  or  what's 
a  heaven  for.'' " 

13.  one  thing.  Paul's  supreme  passion  unifies 
and  simplifies  his  life,  focuses  his  energies,  claims 
all  his  time  and  thought  for  one  mighty  endeavour. 
He  forgets  the  things  which  are  behind,  especially 
his  successes,  wasting  no  hours  in  complacent  retro- 


iQo  Westminster  New  Testament 

spects,  acting  in  the  living  present,  and  preparing 
for  the  glorious  future. 

14.  I  press  on.  Like  a  runner  he  thinks  of  his 
goal,  and  quickens  his  pace  as  he  nears  it.  the 
prize.  Two  meanings  are  possible :  either,  the 
prize  which  is  itself  the  high  (upward,  heavenward) 
calling ;  or,  the  prize  which  is  associated  with  that 
calling  to  make  it  more  attractive.  The  Christian 
thinks  of  the  joy  that  is  set  before  him,  as  Christ 
Himself  did  (Heb.  xii.  2).  The  calling  is  itself  in 
Christ  Jesus,  which  indicates  that  He  is  the 
medium  through  which  we  receive  it. 


Phil.  iii.  15-21. 
THE  IMITATION  OF  THE  SAINTS. 

15  Let  us  therefore,  as  many  as  be  perfect,  be  thus  minded  : 
and  if  in  any  thing  ye  be  otherwise  minded,  God  shall 

16  reveal  even  this  unto  you.  Nevertheless,  whereto  we 
have  already  attained,  let  us  walk  by  the  same  rule,  let  us 

17  mind  the  same  thing.  Brethren,  be  followers  together  of 
me,  and  mark  them  which  walk  so  as  ye  have  us  for  an 

18  ensample.  (For  many  walk,  of  whom  I  have  told  you 
often,  and  now  tell  you  even  weeping,  that  they  are  the 

19  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ :  whose  end  is  destruction, 
whose  God   is   their  belly,   and  whose   glory  is  in  their 

20  shame,  who  mind  earthly  things. )  For  our  conversation  is 
in  heaven  ;  from  whence  also  we  look  for  the  Saviour,  the 

21  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  who  shall  change  our  vile  body,  that  it 
may  be  fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious  body,  according  to 
the  working  whereby  he  is  able  even  to  subdue  all  things 
unto  himself. 

Having  finished  his  chapter  of  self-revelation, 
Paul  returns  to  earnest  exhortation.    As  a  standard 


Philippians  iii.  15-21  191 

of  conduct  he  boldly  offers  the  example  of  the 
saints.  Many  of  those  who  profess  to  follow  Christ 
lead  lives  of  shame^  but  true  Christians  are  citizens 
of  heaven,  and  must  keep  its  laws,  remembering 
that  the  Saviour  will  return  to  make  them,  in  body 
as  well  as  in  spirit,  like  Himself. 

15,  16.  perfect.  In  ver.  12  Paul  said,  "I  am 
not  perfect."  It  is  somewhat  puzzling  to  see  that 
he  now  includes  himself  among  ^'  the  perfect." 
The  word  is  of  course  used  Un  two  senses : 
(1)  absolutely  good,  pure,  holy;  (2)  full-grown, 
mature,  no  longer  childishly  ignorant  and  weak. 
Both  meanings  are  equally  common  in  the  N.T. 
reveal  .  .  .  walk.  The  increasing  revelation 
comes  to  those  who  walk  in  the  light.  Obedience 
has  been  finely  called  the  organ  of  spiritual  know- 
ledge. 

17.  imitators.  The  reference  in  ver.  l6  to 
a  rule  of  life  prompts  the  question.  What  is  the 
rule  }  If  the  old  law  is  dead,  what  takes  its  place  ? 
Paul  answers  by  inviting  men  to  walk  in  his  own 
footsteps — to  imitate  himself  and  his  fellow- 
workers  (cf.  1  Cor.  xi.  1).  Alongside  of  the  imiiafio 
Christi  there  is  need  of  an  imitatio  Christianorum. 
Men  who  utterly  disregard  the  former  may  be 
allured  by  the  latter.  There  is  no  egotism,  only 
the  simplicity  of  truth,  in  Paul's  words.  But 
what  a  weight  of  responsibility  they  lay  on  all 
Christians ! 

18,19.  enemies  of  the  cross.  Christian  liberty 
seems  to  some  minds  liberty  to  sin.  The  in- 
dulgence of  the  body,  they  think,  cannot  hurt  the 
soul.  Christianity  is  not  law  but  love — and  such 
love  !  Paul  weeps  that  "  Christians  " — enemies  of 
Christ's  Cross — should  thus  glory  in  their  shame. 


192  Westminster  New  Testament 

and  shudders  at  the  thought  of  their  end.  god 
.  .  .  belly.  "I  bow  before  no  other  but  myself, 
and  to  my  belly,  chief  of  deities." 

20.  citizenship.  This  was  always  a  great  word 
to  Paul,  and  to  the  end  he  was  doubtless  proud  to 
say,  '' Civis  Romamis  sum."  But  he  has  received, 
not  achieved,  a  far  higher  honour  and  dignity — the 
citizenship  of  heaven.  Every  Christian  enjoys  the 
privileges,  shares  the  protection,  and  keeps  the  laws 
of  that  glorious  kingdom.  He  has  civic  rights  in 
a  polity  whose  constitution  is  Divine  and  eternal. 

21.  our  vile  body.  Paul  does  not  say  that. 
He  has  none  of  the  Stoic's  and  ascetic's  contempt 
for  the  body.  He  speaks  of  it  reverently.  It  is 
redeemed  as  fully  as  the  soul.  But  it  is  mean- 
while the  body  of  our  humiliation,  subject  to 
weakness,  decay,  death.  From  all  this  Christ 
has  the  power  and  the  will  to  liberate  it,  by  re- 
fashioning it  in  the  image  of  His  own  glorified 
heavenly  body. 

Phil.  iv.  1-9. 

CHRISTIAN  UNITY,  JOY,  AND  PEACE. 

Therefore,  my  brethren  dearly  beloved  and  longed  for,  my 
joy  and  crown,  so  stand  fast  in  the  Lord,  my  dearly  beloved. 

2  I  beseech  Euodias,  and  beseech  Syntyche,  that  they  be  ot 

3  the  same  mind  in  the  Lord.  And  I  intreat  thee  also,  true 
yokefellow,  help  those  women  which  laboured  with  me  in 
the  gospel,  with  Clement  also,  and  with  other  my  fellow- 

4  labourers,  whose  names  are  in  the  book  of  life.     Rejoice 

5  in  the  Lord  alway  :  and  again  I  say.  Rejoice.  Let  your 
moderation  be  known  unto  all  men.     The  Lord  is  at  hand. 

6  Be  careful  for  nothing  ;  but  in  every  thing  by  prayer  and 
supplication  with  thanksgiving  let  your  requests  be  made 


Philippians  iv.  1-9  193 

7  known  unto  God.  And  the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth 
all    understanding,   shall    keep    your    hearts    and    minds 

8  through  Christ  Jesus.  Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things 
are  true,  whatsoever  things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things 
are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are 
lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report ;  if  there  be 
any  virtue,  and   if  there   be   any  praise,  think   on   these 

9  things.  Those  things,  which  ye  have  both  learned,  and 
received,  and  heard,  and  seen  in  me,  do :  and  the  God  of 
peace  shall  be  with  you. 

With  one  more  outburst  of  warm  affection 
Paul  gives  his  final  exhortations  to  his  Philippian 
brethren.  His  ideal  is  a  united  Church,  studying 
the  things  that  make  for  peace  ;  a  Church  pervaded 
by  the  atmosphere  of  joy  ;  a  Church  whose  members 
are  lifted  by  prayer  above  care,  and  who  rival  each 
other  in  the  eager  pursuit  of  everything  noble  and 
worthy  of  praise. 

1.  my  beloved  (twice).  The  word  is  tenderly 
repeated.  Paul  thinks  of  his  church  with  love, 
with  longing,  with  joy,  with  triumph,  and  again 
with  love.  He  loves  first  and  last  and  without 
end.  crown  is  not  the  kingly  or  priestly  diadem, 
but  the  athlete's  wreath  of  victory.  The  Philippian 
Church  is  a  chaplet  for  the  apostle's  brow. 

2,  3.  Euodia  and  Syntyche  both  loved  the  gospel, 
both  laboured  with  Paul  in  the  gospel.  They  were 
both  ''  in  the  Lord."  But  they  could  not  labour 
together  without  some  friction.  They  were  not 
of  the  same  mind.  They  looked  askance  at  each 
other's  ways.  Paul  seeks  to  reconcile  them.  They 
cannot  be  enemies  in  the  Lord,  they  must  be 
friends.  In  the  atmosphere  of  His  realised  presence 
their  differences  melt  away  like  ice  in  the  sun- 
beams,   yokefellow.  It  is  impossible  to  say  who  is 

13 


194  Westminster  New  Testament 

addressed  here.  Epapliroditus^  Timothy,  the  husband 
of  Euodia  or  of  Syntyche  are  conjectures.  Some 
scholars  read,  "  Synzygus,  rightly  so  called."  and 
the  rest.  There  are  many  workers  in  the  Philip- 
pian  Church,  and  all  are  exhorted  to  be  peace- 
makers, as  befits  those  whose  names  are  written  in 
the  Book  of  Life. 

4.  Rejoice.  Christianity  is  in  a  sense  "the 
Worship  of  Sorrow."  But  its  final  outcome  can 
only  be  joy.  It  overcomes  all  the  Weltschinerz — the 
sorrow  of  the  world.     "  I  marvelled,"  says  Tennyson, 

"Wherefore  rather  I  made  choice 
To  commune  with  that  barren  voice, 
Than  him  that  said,   '  Rejoice  !  Rejoice  ! ' " 

5.  forbearance.  A  well-known  classical  word, 
translated  by  Matthew  Arnold  "sweet  reasonable- 
ness." We  find  it  in  2  Cor.  x.  1,  where  it  is 
rendered  "  the  gentleness  of  Christ."  The  Lord 
is  at  hand.  How  sweet  was  this  thought  to  the 
early  Christians !  They  greeted  each  other  with 
"  Maran-atha  " — "  the  Lord  cometh !  " 

6.  careful :  in  the  old  sense  of  the  word — harass- 
ing care,  worry,  atra  cura.  The  cure  for  such  care- 
fulness is  prayerfulness  with  thanksgiving  (cf  Matt, 
vi.  31,  32). 

7.  peace  of  God.  That  inward  tranquillity 
which  is  a  gift  of  the  God  of  peace.  Like  His  gift 
of  infinite  love,  it  is  beyond  the  apprehension  of 
reason  ;  it  is  a  thing  to  be  experienced,  never  fully 
understood.  It  will  guard  the  heart,  as  brave 
soldiers  calmly  defend  a  besieged  town.  Tempta- 
tions, doubts,  and  fears  seek  admission,  but  find  no 
entrance  into  the  citadel  of  Mansoul,  where  peace 
reigns. 


Philippians  iv.  10-20         195 

8,  9.  whatsoever  things.  No  passage  in 
Paul's  writings  has  such  a  Hellenic  ring  as  this. 
He  earnestly  recommends  thinking.  Hegel  says 
that  "thinking  itself  is  a  service  of  God."  Paul's 
ideals  for  the  reflective  mind — truth^  honour, 
justice,  purity,  loveliness — are  all  nobly  classical. 
These  were  virtues  of  which  the  Greeks  would  talk 
all  day  and  every  day.  But  Christianity  did  two 
things  :  it  gave  each  of  these  themes  a  higher,  holier 
meaning  ;  and  it  transferred  them  out  of  the  realm 
of  thought  into  that  of  action.  This  was  thinking 
to  good  purpose.  "These  things  do."  The  dis- 
tinction of  Christianity  is  its  magnificent  driving 
energy,  its  power  to  get  things  done,  to  change 
dreams  into  deeds. 

Phil.  iv.  10-20. 
PAUL'S  SECRET  OF  CONTENTMENT. 

10  But  I  rejoiced  in  the  Lord  greatly,  that  now  at  the  last 
your  care  of  me  hath  flourished  again  ;    wherein  ye  were 

1 1  also  careful,  but  ye  lacked  opportunity.  Not  that  I  speak 
in  respect  of  want :  for  I  have  learned,  in  whatsoever  state 

12  I  am,  therewith  to  be  content.  I  know  both  how  to  be 
abased,  and  I  know  how  to  abound  :  every  where  and  in 
all  things  I  am  instructed  both  to  be  full  and  to  be  hungry, 

13  both  to  abound  and  to  suffer  need.     I  can  do  all  things 

14  through  Christ  which  strengtheneth  me.  Notwithstanding 
ye   have   well   done,    that  ye   did   communicate  with   my 

15  affliction.  Now  ye  Philippians  know  also,  that  in  the 
beginning  of  the  gospel,  when  I  departed  from  Macedonia, 
no  church  communicated  with  me  as  concerning  giving  and 

16  receiving,  but  ye  only.     For  even  in  Thessalonica  ye  sent 

17  once  and  again  unto  my  necessity.  Not  because  I  desire 
a  gift  :  but  I  desire  fruit  that  may  abound  to  your  account. 

18  But  I  have  all,  and  abound  :  I  am  full,  having  received  of 


196  Westminster  New  Testament 

Epaphroditus   the   things  which  were   sent   from  you,  an 
odour  of  a  sweet  smell,  a  sacrifice  acceptable,  wellpleasing 

19  to  God.     But  my  God  shall  supply  all  your  need  according 

20  to  his  riches  in  glory  by  Christ  Jesus.     Now  unto  God  and 
our  Father  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

In  conclusion,  Paul  tells  of  his  joy  in  the  latest 
of  the  many  gifts  of  the  Philippian  Church.  He 
acknowledges  it  with  an  exquisite  courtesy,  in 
which  a  note  of  proud  independence  is  charmingly 
blended  with  one  of  touching  gratitude.  And 
what  does  he  make  of  "  this  matter  of  giving  and 
receiving"?  He  transfigures  it.  He  throws  over 
it  the  radiance  of  heaven.  He  displays  it  in  its 
eternal  spiritual  relations.  He  shows  its  worth  for 
God.  Christian  beneficence  blesses  him  that  gives 
as  well  as  him  that  takes,  yielding  an  ever-increas- 
ing fruit  (or  interest)  in  all  after-time.  It  is  more 
than  a  natural  expression  of  loving  sympathy 
between  man  and  man.  It  is  a  holy  and  fragrant 
sacrifice  to  God,  who  will  reward  it  in  a  manner 
worthy  of  Himself. 

10.  ye  have  revived,  "ye  have  made  your 
thought  for  me  bloom  again,"  like  flowers  in 
spring-time.  A  delightful  way  of  praising  their 
liberality,  implying,  it  is  superfluous  to  say, 
no  reproach,  no  suggestion  of  a  time  of  wintry 
coldness  !  Far  from  it,  they  "  were  indeed  taking 
thought  all  along "  (impf.  tense) ;  only  they  had 
no  opportunity  of  fulfilling  their  wish. 

11.  to  be  content.  Literally,  "  self-sufl^cient," 
independent  of  others.  A  favourite  word  among 
the  Stoics,  from  whom  Paul  probably  borrowed  it. 
The  Stoic  was  self-sufficient  in  the  strength  of  his 
own  ''  unconquerable  soul "  ;  the  Christian  in  the 
might  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ  within  him. 


Philippians  iv.  10-20         197 

12.  instructed.  '^  I  have  learned  the  secret." 
Lit., "  I  have  been  initiated  into  the  mystery."  Paul 
was  familiar  with  the  Greek  mysteries,  which 
somewhat  resembled  those  of  Freemasonry. 
Christianity  too,  he  suggests,  has  its  mysteries, 
into  which  every  believer  ought  to  be  initiated,  and 
one  of  them  is  the  secret  of  contentment,  of  self- 
sufficiency,  of  keeping  one's  spirit  superior  to  the 
fluctuations  of  fortune,  like  "  a  mark  of  everlasting 
light  above  the  howling  senses'  ebb  and  flow." 

13.  I  can  do  all  things.  The  Christian's 
dynamic  is  the  risen  Christ.  Nothing  ever  cuts 
him  ofl"  from  the  centre  of  power  but  his  own  fail- 
ing faith.  Having  in  Christ  an  unlimited  reserve 
of  superhuman  strength,  he  can  confront  every 
emergency,  doing  and  bearing  all  things  according 
to  the  will  of  God. 

14.  fellowship.  No  grace  seems  higher  to 
Paul  than  communion  in  suffering.  Just  as  it  was 
his  own  passionate  desire  to  know  the  fellowship  of 
Christ's  suffering  (iii.  10),  so  he  is  profoundly 
thankful  that  the  Philippians  wish  to  have  fellow- 
ship with  him  in  his  own  experiences  of  captivity 
and  poverty.  "  Pain  is  the  deepest  thing  we  have 
in  our  nature,  and  union  through  pain  has  always 
seemed  to  me  more  real  and  more  holy  than  any 
other"  (A.  H.  Hallam). 

15.  in  the  beginning  of  the  gospel :  the  first 
preaching  of  it  in  Macedonia,  about  ten  years  before 
(see  Acts  xvii.  1-15).  At  that  time  the  Philippian 
Church  alone  gave  him  material  aid.  giving  and 
receiving.  The  Philippians  giving,  Paul  receiving. 
In  Greek  the  words  have  a  mercantile  ring,  like 
our  "credit  and  debit."  The  apostle  playfully 
suggests   that    the    Philippians    have    opened    an 


198  Westminster  New  Testament 

account  with  him !  There  is  no  reason  for  import- 
ing (as  some  do)  the  idea  of  the  interchange  of 
temporal  for  spiritual  gifts.  It  is  an  ordinary- 
matter  of  giving  and  receiving  money. 

16.  in  Thessalonica.  Now  Saloniki^  at  the  head 
of  the  gulf  of  the  same  name.  In  that  city  Paul 
remained  for  some  time  and]  founded  a  church,  but 
the  pecuniary  help  he  received  there,  when  he 
was  straitened  in  outward  circumstances,  came 
not  from  the  converts  of  the  place  but  from 
Philippi,  100  miles  away.  The  fact  stands  out 
clear  and  vivid  in  his  memory  after  a  lapse  of  ten 
years. 

17.  Not  that  I  desire  the  gift.  For  gifts 
as  such,  apart  from  the  love  of  the  givers  and  the 
blessing  which  their  generosity  must  bring  to 
themselves,  he  has  no  desire.  A  cheque  from  a 
well-wisher  who  was  not  a  true  Christian  would 
give  him  little  or  no  pleasure.  What  he  does  desire 
more  than  anything  else  is  the  fruit,  or  recompense, 
which  abounds  to  the  advantage  of  those  who 
with  a  pure  motive  offer  the  sacrifices  of  love. 
Strike  out  the  A.V.'s  '^may"  ;  the  reward  is 
certain. 

18.  I  abound.  I  have  enough  and  more;  my 
cup  overflows,  the  things.  Paul  instinctively 
avoids  the  use  of  the  word  "money."  The  gift 
of  love  was  much  more  than  a  purse  of  gold ;  it 
was  an  offering  to  God,  pure  and  acceptable ;  like 
the  ascending  odour  of  some  ancient  oblation, 
the  generosity  of  it  was  fragrant  to  His  spirit. 
So  much  good  as  that  can  be  said  of  money ! 
What  is  sometimes  called  *^^ filthy  lucre"  may 
have  the  sweetness,  to  God  and  man,  of  a  holy 
sacrifice. 


Philippians  iv.  21-23  199 

19.  all  your  need.  "  Your  "  is  emphatic.  "  My 
God  will  fulfil  every  need  of  yours^  as  ye  have 
supplied  mine."  Paul  feels  that  he  can  never 
repay  the  gifts  they  have  sent  him ;  he  must 
always  be  hopelessly  in  debt.  But  he  can  pray^ 
and  God  will  repay.  His  unsearchable  riches 
will  adequately  recompense  the  offering  of  love. 
He  will  give  "  gloriously  (in  glory)  in  Christ  Jesus." 
Here  "  glory  "  is  not  the  future  glory  of  heaven ; 
but  the  present  splendour  of  Divine  grace. 


Phil.  iv.  21-23. 
GREETINGS  AND  FAREWELL. 

21  Salute  every  saint  in  Christ  Jesus.     The  brethren   which 

22  are  with  me  greet  you.     All  the  saints  sakite  you,  chiefly 

23  they  that  are   of  Csesar's  household.     The  grace  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all.     Amen. 

21.  every  saint  is  every  Christian.  Paul  may 
mean  either  ^^  Salute  -  in  -  Christ  eveiy  saint/'  or 
^'Salute  every  saint-in-Christ."  The  difference  is 
unimportant,  and  either  sense  excellent.  Paul  had 
around  him  a  large  circle  of  brethren — converts 
and  comrades — who  knew  that  he  was  writing,  and 
desired  to  send  their  loving  greetings. 

22.  Caesar's  household.  The  phrase  is  one 
of  many  indications  that  the  letter  was  written  in 
Rome  rather  than  Caesarea.  "  Household  does  not 
signify  members  of  the  imperial  family,  but  the  whole 
menage  of  the  imperial  residence — slaves,  freedmen, 
household  servants,  and  other  dependents,  possibly 
some  of  high  rank"  (Vincent).  The  house  in 
which  Nero  was  making  himself  eternally  infamous 


200  Westminster  New  Testament 

was  a  strange  school  for  saints.  But  light  pene- 
trates the  darkest  places.  Some  of  those  who  had 
to  wait  every  day  in  the  presence  of  Nero  were  all 
the  time  beholding  the  Face  of  Christ,  and  the 
vision  was  transforming  them  into  His  image. 
Paul  had  not  been  a  prisoner  in  vain. 


1  Tim.  i.  I,  2. 

GREETING. 

Paul,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ  by  the  commandment  of 
God  our  Saviour,  and  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  our 
2  hope ;  unto  Timothy,  my  own  son  in  the  faith  :  Grace, 
mercy,  and  peace,  from  God  our  Father  and  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord. 

1,  2.  by  the  commandment.  Or,  "the  auth- 
ority." The  commission  was  not  human  but  Divine. 
God  our  Saviour.  It  is  one  of  the  peculiarities  of 
the  Pastorals  that  they  apply  the  word  "  Saviour  " 
to  God  the  Father  more  frequently  than  to  Christ 
the  Son — three  times  in  1  Timothy  and  as  often  in 
Titus.  This  seems  due  to  the  author's  Greek  habits 
of  thought.     Christ  Jesus  our  hope.   A  new 

and  beautiful  title  of  our  Lord,  the  abstract  noun 
being  made  personal,  as  in  Watts's  hymn,  "  Our  God, 
our  Help  .  .  .  our  Hope."  Christ  is  the  ground, 
the  substance  of  believers'  hopes  for  themselves  and 
the  universe.  Compare  "the  blessed  hope  "  in  Tit. 
ii.  13.  my  true  child.  The  apostle's  dearest  son, 
for  ten  years  his  companion  (cf.  Phil.  ii.  22). 
mercy  is  an  addition  to  the  "grace  and  peace" 
of  the  common  Pauline  salutation.  So  in  2  Tim. 
1.   2. 


202  Westminster  New  Testament 


I  Tim.  i.  3-II. 
SOUND  DOCTRINE. 

3  As  I  besought  thee  to  abide  still  at  Ephesus,  when  I  went 
into  Macedonia,  that  thou  mightest  charge  some  that  they 

4  teach  no  other  doctrine,  neither  give  heed  to  fables  and 
endless  genealogies,  which  minister  questions,  rather  than 

5  godly  edifying  which  is  in  faith  :  so  do.  Now  the  end  of 
the  commandment  is  charity  out  of  a  pure  heart,  and  of 

6  a  good  conscience,  and  of  faith  unfeigned  :  from  which 
some  having  swerved  have  turned  aside  unto  vain  jangling  ; 

7  desiring  to  be  teachers  of  the  law ;  understanding  neither 

8  what  they  say,  nor   whereof  they   affirm.     But  we  know 

9  that  the  law  is  good,  if  a  man  use  it  lawfully  ;  knowing 
this,  that  the  law  is  not  made  for  a  righteous  man,  but 
for  the  lawless  and  disobedient,  for  the  ungodly  and  for 
sinners,  for  unholy  and  profane,  for   murderers  of  fathers 

10  and  murderers  of  mothers,  for  manslayers,  for  whore- 
mongers, for  them  that  defile  themselves  with  mankind, 
for  menstealers,  for  liars,  for  perjured  persons,  and  if 
there  be  any  other  thing  that  is  contrary  to  sound  doctrine  ; 

1 1  according  to  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God,  which 
was  committed  to  my  trust. 

Timothy  has  abeady  been  orally  instructed  to 
remain  in  Ephesus  as  the  guardian  of  soimd 
doctrine.  His  charge  is  now  put  in  writing. 
He  is  to  remember  that  the  end  and  aim  of  all 
Christian  teaching  is  love.  False  teachers  are 
great  only  in  talking,  disputing,  questioning ;  their 
confidence  is  in  proportion  to  their  ignorance ; 
while  they  pretend  to  teach  the  law  they  have 
not  a  notion  of  its  real  value. 

3.  at  Ephesus.  The  words  no  doubt  reflect 
an  authentic  tradition  of  Timothy's  life  and  work 


I  Timothy  i.  3-1 1  203 

in  this  city  after  Paul's  removal.  mightest 
charge.  The  word  "  charge  "  occurs  seven  times 
in  the  epistle,  five  times  as  a  verb,  twice  as  a 
noun.  The  idea  is  present  to  the  writer's  mind 
from  first  to  last.  Sometimes  it  is  he  who  gives 
a  charge  to  Timothy  (i.  5,  18,  vi.  13),  sometimes 
it  is  Timothy  who  is  authoritatively  to  charge 
(twice  translated  "command")  others  (i.  3,  iv.  11, 
v.  7,  vi.  13).  The  letter  as  a  whole  might  be 
entitled  "  The  Pastor's  Charge."  to-teach-a- 
different-doctrine  is  one  word  in  Greek.  "To 
be  heterodox"  conveys  its  flavour.  There  is  a 
theological  standard  which  every  one  ought  to 
accept.  The  Church  has  established  her  confession 
of  faith,  her  pattern  of  sound  words,  and  Timothy 
is  enjoined  to  command  men  to  teach  nothing 
contrary  to  the  creed — to  be  orthodox. 

4.  fables  .  .  .  genealogies.  It  is  a  question 
whether  these  were  the  product  of  the  Rabbinic 
or  the  Gnostic  mind,  both  of  which  were  given  to 
spinning  grotesque  fancies  and  giving  them  forth 
as  gospel  truths.  As  the  heterodox  teachers  whom 
the  writer  has  in  view  pretend  to  be  teachers  of 
the  law  (ver.  7),  it  is  natural  to  infer  that  not  a  few 
of  the  myths  and  genealogies  in  question  were  of 
Jewish  origin,  minister  questionings.  Fanciful 
tales  merely  tickle  the  ears  and  loosen  the  tongue. 
They  have  no  relation  to  the  serious  business  of 
life.  They  are  received  with  foolish  credulity 
instead  of  rational  faith.  They  end  in  conversation, 
not  conversion.  Christianity,  on  the  contrary,  is 
a  dispensation  of  God,  a  stewardship  of  His 
grace  to  men,  imparting  not  barren  ideas,  empty 
speculations,  but  eternal  and  life-giving  truths. 

5.  the  end,  or  purpose,  of  the  charge  which 


204  Westminster  New  Testament 

Timothy  receives  is  the  awakening  of  love  in  the 
hearts  of  his  hearers.  The  gospel  must  prove  that 
it  does  not  issue  in  a  war  of  words  but  in  Hves  of 
self-forgetting  love.  It  is  to  attest  itself  by  its 
beautiful  practical  results.  Its  glory  is  that  it  has 
power  to  kindle  a  passion  of  love  in  every  heart 
that  receives  it,  to  fill  the  whole  earth  with  love 
when  it  has  free  course.  Such  love,  the  writer 
teaches,  springs  from  a  nature  that  has  become 
pure,  inward,  and  sincere ;  a  man's  heart,  con- 
science, and  faith  must  each  be  adjusted  to  a 
Divine  standard  before  love  can  reign  supreme  in 
his  life. 

6.  vain  jangling.  Better, ''  empty  talking,"  all 
the  more  silly  because  it  is  so  solemn  and  religious. 
"  Empty  chaff  well  meant  for  grain." 

7.  teachers  (cf.  Rom.  ii.  21-23).  Their  self- 
confidence  is  sublime,  their  intelligence  puerile, 
even  childish.  They  have  need  to  go  to  school 
and  begin  at  the  lowest  form. 

8.  the  law.  The  law  is  good,  but  it  is  for  those 
who  are  not  good.  Its  provisions  are  negative. 
Its  end  is  the  repression  of  evil  rather  than  the 
promotion  of  righteousness.  To  the  tempted  it 
utters  its  categorical  "Thou  shalt  not."  The 
writer  goes  right  through  the  Decalogue.  The 
ungodly  are  condemned  in  the  first  and  second 
commandments,  the  profane  in  the  third  and 
fourth,  murderers  of  fathers  and  mothers  in  the 
fifth,  manslayers,  fornicators,  man-stealers,  profane 
swearers  in  the  sixth,  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth 
respectively.  This  commonplace  idea  of  the  use  of 
the  Decalogue  is  far  removed  from  the  profound 
Pauline  conception  of  the  historical  function  of 
the  law  as  a  tutor  to  bring  men  to  Christ. 


I  Timothy  i.  12-17  205 

10.  sound  doctrine.  These  are  favourite  words 
in  the  Pastorals.  ^^  Sound"  occurs  seven  times  in 
them  and  nowhere  else;  "doctrine"  fifteen  times, 
against  seven  times  in  the  rest  of  the  N.T. 
"Sound  doctrine"  is  literally  healthful  teaching, 
as  opposed  to  what  is  sickly,  morbid.  This  is 
in  itself  a  fine  broad  unfettered  conception ;  but 
in  the  Pastorals  "  the  doctrine "  has  become  a 
definite  body  of  truth  which  is  alone  recognised  as 
"sound"  or  orthodox.  These  epistles  are  essen- 
tially didactic;  hence  the  frequent  recurrence  of 
the  words  "teach,"  "teacher,"  "teaching,"  "apt 
to  teach." 

11.  gospel  of  the  glory.  This  is  magnificent 
language.  "  The  author  can  think  of  no  more 
striking  contrast  than  that  between  the  endless 
prattle  of  the  false  teachers  and  the  gospel  of 
the  glory  of  the  blessed  God  "  (Kohler). 


I  Tim.  i.  12-17. 

PAUL'S  VOCATION  ILLUSTRATING  DIVINE 
MERCY. 

12  And  I  thank  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  who  hath  enabled  me, 
for   that   he   counted   me   faithful,    putting   me    into    the 

13  ministry  ;  who  was  before  a  blasphemer,  and  a  persecutor, 
and   injurious :    but   I  obtained   mercy,  because  I  did   it 

14  ignorantly  in  unbelief.  And  the  grace  of  our  Lord  was 
exceeding  abundant  with  faith  and  love  which  is  in  Christ 

15  Jesus.  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all 
acceptation,    that   Christ  Jesus    came   into   the   world   to 

16  save  sinners  ;  of  whom  I  am  chief.  Howbeit  for  this 
cause  I  obtained  mercy,  that  in  me  first  Jesus  Christ  might 
shew  forth  all  longsuffering,  for  a  pattern  to  them  which 


2o6  Westminster  New  Testament 

17  should  hereafter  beheve  on  him  to  life  everlasting.  Now 
unto  the  King  eternal,  immortal,  invisible,  the  only  wise 
God,  be  honour  and  glory  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

Paul's  ministry^  and  the  steps  that  led  up  to  it, 
form  a  striking  object  lesson  for  the  Christian 
Pastor.  His  savage  indignation  as  a  persecutor, 
of  which  he  could  never  think  without  remorse, 
did  not  shut  him  out  from  mercy.  He  became 
the  subject  of  the  Lord's  abounding  grace,  and 
felt  that  the  chief  of  sinners  was  saved.  He  con- 
cluded that  the  Lord  must  have  specially  chosen 
him  in  order  to  display  His  longsuffering  and  to 
illustrate  the  victorious  power  of  faith. 

12.  enabled  me:  gave  me  ability  for  His 
service,  counted  me  faithful.  After  his  years 
of  waiting  and  testing  in  Arabia  and  Tarsus,  Paul 
was  approved  as  trustworthy  (see  Acts  xi.  26, 
xiii.  1).     the  ministry.   Better,  "  His  service." 

13.  The  three  sins  which  Paul  confesses  form 
a  climax,  which  our  weak  word  "  injurious " 
spoils.  He  was  a  reviler  of  the  name  of  Christ, 
a  persecutor  of  His  Church,  an  outrager  of 
justice  and  humanity.  I  did  it  ignorantly. 
Cf.  Luke  xxiii.  34. 

14.  grace  .  .  .  abounded.    Add  to  this  the 

words  of  next  verse,  '^sinners,  of  whom  I  am 
chief,"  and  we  have  Bunyan's  '^  Grace  Abounding 
to  the  Chief  of  Sinners."  The  Pharisee  and  the 
Tinker  went  to  the  same  school.  Their  great 
minds  ran  parallel.  Because  they  thought  so 
profoundly  about  their  sin,  they  saw  so  clearly  the 
splendour  of  salvation,  with  faith  and  love. 
In  wonderful  contrast  to  the  old  unbelief  and 
hatred. 


I  Timothy  i.  18-20  207 

1 5.  Faithful  is  the  saying.  The  words  occur 
five  times  in  the  Pastorals  (there  alone)^  each  time 
introducing  some  weighty  axiom.  The  use  of 
such  set  forms  of  speech  became  much  more 
common  in  the  sub-apostolic  age.  I  am  chief. 
An  expression  of  the  deepest  humility.  Paul  the 
aged  does  not  say,  "  I  was  the  chief  of  sinners/' 
but  "  I  am."  The  confessor  really  feels  w^hat  he 
says.  Other  men's  sins  seem  venial  in  comparison 
with  his  own.  While  Christ  "  knew  no  sin/'  and 
never  sought  forgiveness,  those  who  have  become 
most  like  Him  have  always  had  the  sharpest  sense 
of  personal  guilt.  This  is  one  of  the  strongest 
proofs  of  His  uniqueness. 

16.  in  me  first.  Better,  "in  me  as  chief/'  as 
in  the  previous  verse.  Paul  feels  that  he  is  chosen 
as  a  pattern,  or  sample,  or  typical  case.  If  he 
receives  mercy,  let  no  one  despair. 

"  I  the  chief  of  sinners  am, 
I'm  a  miracle  of  grace." 

17.  King  eternal.  Lit.,  "King  of  the  aeons,  or 
ages."  "  The  writer  so  names  God  with  evident 
allusion  to  the  Gnostics,  who  dream  of  orders  of 
aeons  in  which  the  being  of  the  Godhead  is 
unfolded.  God  is  Lord  over  them  all,  the  only 
true  God"  (Kohler). 


I  Tim.  i.  18-20. 
DANGER  OF  SHIPWRECK. 

18  This  charge  I  commit  unto  thee,  son  Timothy,  according 
to  the  prophecies  which  went  before  on  thee,  that  thou  by 

19  them  mightest  war  a  good  warfare  ;  holding  faith,  and  a 


2o8  Westminster  New  Testament 

good  conscience  ;  which  some  having  put  away  concerning 
20  faith  have  made  shipwreck  :  of  whom  is  Hymenaeus  and 
Alexander ;  whom  I  have  delivered  unto  Satan,  that  they 
ma}'  learn  not  to  blaspheme. 

Timothy  is  urged  to  be  a  brave  fighter  in  the 
army  of  the  Lord,  under  the  stimulus  of  the 
inspiring  memories  of  his  time  of  consecration  to 
Christ's  service.  It  is  not  inappropriate  to  remind 
him  of  some  who  made  a  fair  beginning,  but  whose 
faith  and  life  went  to  wreck  and  ruin. 

18.  the  prophecies.  Before  Paul  called 
Timothy  to  be  his  comrade  in  evangelism, 
prophetic  voices  in  the  Church  had  given  the 
assurance  that  the  young  man  would  be  a  brave 
soldier  in  the  army  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  beneath 
his  gentleness  it  had  been  discerned  that  he  was 
by  no  means  lacking  in  strength  of  character. 
Let  him  now  fulfil  these  confident  hopes,  when  he 
has  to  stand  alone  in  face  of  opposition,  the  (not 
"a")  good  warfare  is  the  same  for  him  as  for 
every  believer.  If  all  saints  are  not  soldiers,  some 
are  failing  in  their  duty. 

19.  thrust  from  them.  Faith  and  conscience 
are  like  good  angels,  eloquently  pleading,  reluctant 
to  depart,  and  finally  so  importunate  that  they  are 
incontinently  thrust  out  of  doors.  It  is  a  fatal 
error.  If  an  angry  and  mutinous  crew  throw 
skipper  and  pilot  overboard  in  a  storm,  it  is  a  miracle 
if  they  do  not  suffer  shipwreck.  Hymenaeus  is 
named  again  in  2  Tim.  ii.  17.  Alexander  may  be 
the  coppersmith  mentioned  in  2  Tim.  iv.  14. 

20.  delivered  to  Satan.  This  is  difficult  to 
interpret.  Some  indignant  repudiation  is  implied. 
An  experience  of  the  hardness  and  bitterness  of 
the  fruits  of  sin  may  make  men  weary  of  ill-doing. 


I  Timothy  ii.  1-7  209 

and    thus   Satan  may   become   against    his   will    a 
teacher  of  virtue. 

1  Tim.  ii.  1-7. 

PRAYERS  FOR  ALL  MEN. 

I  exhort  therefore,  that,  first  of  all,  supplications,  prayers, 
intercessions,  and  giving  of  thanks,  be  made  for  all  men  ; 

2  for  kings,  and  for  all  that  are  in  authority ;  that  we  may 
lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life  in  all  godliness  and  honesty. 

3  For  this  is  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  our 

4  Saviour ;   who  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  to  come 

5  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  For  there  is  one  God, 
and  one  mediator  between  God  and  men,  the  man  Christ 

6  Jesus ;  who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  testified 

7  in  due  time.  Whereunto  I  am  ordained  a  preacher,  and 
an  apostle,  (I  speak  the  truth  in  Christ,  and  lie  not ;)  a 
teacher  of  the  Gentiles  in  faith  and  verity. 

Here  we  can  read  between  the  lines  that  the 
Church  has  fightings  without  and  fears  within. 
She  has  to  reckon,  on  the  one  hand,  with  a  jealous 
Government,  ever  spying  upon  her  actions,  ever 
ready  to  let  its  wrath  burst  forth  and  shatter  her 
tranquillity ;  and,  on  the  other,  with  a  form  of 
teaching  within  her  own  borders  which  questions 
the  unity  of  God  and  the  humanity  of  Christ,  while 
it  assumes  that  the  knowledge  of  the  highest  truth 
is  the  possession  of  an  intellectual  coterie.  To 
meet  this  situation,  it  is  enjoined  that  prayers  be 
offered  for  all  men,  and  especially  for  the  Govern- 
ment ;  and  it  is  taught  that  all  men  alike  are  to 
be  brought  to  a  full  knowledge  of  the  truth,  which 
is  summed  up  in  the  simple  creed  that  there  is 
one  God,  one  Mediator  who  is  Himself  man,  and 
one  atonement  once  made  for  all  men. 

14 


2IO  Westminster  New  Testament 

1,  2.  prayers  ...  for  kings  and  all  that 
are  in  high  place.  ^^This  is  the  answer  which 
the  Church  returns  to  all  persecutions"  (Kohler). 
She  will  harbour  no  idea  of  revenge ;  she  will 
give  back  love  for  hatred ;  she  will  overcome  evil 
with  good.  Tranquillising  her  own  spirit  with 
the  great  thought  that  God  wills  the  salvation  of 
her  enemies,  since  Christ  paid  a  ransom  for  all, 
she  can  forgivingly  pray  for  them  that  despitefully 
use  her.  She  is  surely  therefore  justified  in  claim- 
ing that  Christianity  is  essentially  a  loyal  religion. 
godliness  and  gravity.  These  words  are 
found  in  none  of  the  letters  ascribed  to  Paul 
except  the  Pastorals,  where  ^^ godliness"  (or 
"  piety ")  occurs  ten  times  and  "  gravity "  three 
times  (also  "grave"  three  times).  Both  terms 
were  familiar  to  the  religious  teachers  of  Greece. 
The  repetition  of  them  in  the  Pastorals  creates 
a  certain  atmosphere.  Christianity  is  elsewhere 
a  rapturous  mystic  communion  with  the  risen 
Saviour ;  here  it  is  piety.  It  is  elsewhere  the 
heroic,  aggressive  advocacy  of  a  splendid  cause ; 
here  it  is  the  gravity  of  a  tranquil  civic  life. 

4.  who  willeth.  This  does  not  mean  "who 
decrees  that  all  men  should  be  saved,"  but  "who 
wishes."  If  God's  will  were  done,  all  men  would 
be  saved,  but  God  has  made  the  human  will  free, 
and  never  ovemdes  it.  God  is  now  willing,  is 
man  ?  Whether  all  men  will  ultimately  become 
willing  is  quite  beyond  the  scope  of  this  passage. 
It  is  far  from  teaching  dogmatic  universalism. 
the  knowledge.  Better,  "the  full  knowledge" 
{epignosis).  The  Gnostics  said  that  this  was  only  for 
the  initiated,  but  in  Christianity  there  is  no  inner 
circle  from  which  the  vulgar  throng  are  excluded. 


I  Timothy  ii.  1-7  211 

All  truth  is  common  property.  The  Spirit  takes 
of  the  things  of  Christ  to  enlighten  every  man 
(of.  Col.  i.  28). 

5.  one  mediator.  This  truth  seems  to  us 
quite  axiomatic,  but  it  was  only  after  a  long 
controversy  that  it  was  accepted  by  the  whole 
early  Church.  The  Gnostics  believed  in  a  multi- 
tude of  mediators — angels  or  aeons — among  whom 
Christ  was  in  danger  either  of  being  lost  sight  of 
altogether,  or  of  being  transformed  into  a  shadowy, 
mythical  (Doketic)  being  quite  different  from  the 
man  Christ  Jesus.  The  Divine  greatness  of 
Christ  and  His  perfect  Son-of-manhood  are  truths 
equally  important  to  the  writer. 

6.  a  ransom  for  all.  This  recalls  ''  a  ransom  for 
many  "  in  Matt.  xx.  28,  only  the  preposition  "  for  " 
differs  slightly  in  the  two  phrases  :  in  the  first  it 
means  "on  behalf  of,"  in  the  second  "in  the  place 
of."  A  ransom  is  what  is  given  in  exchange  for 
another  as  the  price  of  his  redemption.  Christ 
gave  himself — a  ransom  of  infinite  worth.  The 
language  is  figurative,  and  must  not  be  pressed,  as 
it  is  when  the  question  is  asked.  To  whom  is  the 
ransom  paid  ?  Christ  made  an  atonement  which  is 
appropriate  for  all  and  appropriated  by  the  many 
who  believe.  the  testimony  regarding  this 
central  fact  of  redemption  could  not  be  borne  till 
the  fulness  of  the  times — till  the  Christian  era. 

7.  I  was  appointed.  Elsewhere  we  find 
frequent  allusions  to  Paul's  Divine  appointment 
to  be  a  preacher,  or  an  apostle,  o?-  a  teacher. 
Here  the  terms  are  all  accumulated  together 
(cf.  2  Tim.  i.  11). 


212   Westminster  New  Testament 


I  Tim.  ii.  8-15. 
WOMAN'S  SPHERE. 

8  I  will  therefore  that  men  pray  every  where,  lifting  up  holy 

9  hands,  without  wrath  and  doubting.  In  like  manner  also, 
that  women  adorn  themselves  in  modest  apparel,  with 
shamefacedness   and  sobriety ;   not  with   braided  hair,  or 

10  gold,  or   pearls,    or   costly   array ;   but   (which   becometh 

11  women  professing   godliness)  with  good  works.     Let  the 

12  woman  learn  in  silence  with  all  subjection.  But  I  suffer 
not  a  woman  to  teach,  nor  to  usurp  authority  over  the  man, 

13  but  to  be  in  silence.     For   Adam  was  first  formed,  then 

14  Eve.     And  Adam  was  not  deceived,  but  the  woman  being 

15  deceived  was  in  the  transgression.  Notwithstanding  she 
shall  be  saved  in  childbearing,  if  they  continue  in  faith  and 
charity  and  holiness  with  sobriety. 

Men,  not  women,  are  to  lead  others  in  prayer. 
Women  are  to  dress  modestly,  their  best  adornment 
being  their  good  works.  They  are  to  be  silent  in 
the  public  assembly,  neither  teaching  nor  ruling. 
The  accepted  belief  that  woman  was  created  after 
man  and  fell  before  him  proves  her  inferiority.  It 
will  be  her  salvation  to  limit  herself  to  the  bearing 
and  rearing  of  children,  leading  a  quiet,  sober  life  of 
faith  and  love. 

8.  that  the  men  pray.  The  men  in  distinction 
from  the  women.  The  R.V.  makes  the  meaning 
clear  by  inserting  '^  the."  Those  who  pray  are  to 
do  it  with  uplifted  hands,  with  holy  hands,  and  in 
a  spirit  of  love.  "  The  raising  of  the  hands  with 
the  palm  upturned  was  the  usual  attitude  of 
prayer  both  in  classical  antiquity  and  in  the  early 
Christian  Church ;  the  opened  hands  expected  to 
be  filled  from   above "   (Kohler).     "  Holy  hands  " 


I  Timothy  ii.  8-15  213 

meant  more  than  clean  hands  (Ps.  xxiv.  4) ;  it 
meant  hands  consecrated  to  the  service  of  God. 
To  pray  in  an  angry,  disputatious  spirit  was  to 
forget  that  one  was  speaking  in  the  audience- 
chamber  of  a  God  of  love. 

9.  Shamefastness  is  the  correct  spelling.  It 
means  the  modesty  which  is  fast  or  rooted  in  the 
character,  whereas  shamefacedness  means  sheepish- 
ness.  sobriety  and  ^^  sober  "  are  found  six  times  in 
the  Pastorals  and  in  none  of  the  other  Pauline 
letters.  It  was  a  Greek  ideal,  the  first  of  the 
four  cardinal  virtues — temperance,  wisdom,  justice, 
courage.  Like  "sound,"  "grave,"  and  "pious," 
it  gives  its  own  stamp  to  the  writings  in  which  it 
occurs  so  often. 

10.  not  with  braided  hair  .  .  .  but  through 
good  works.  The  change  of  preposition,  from 
^' with"  to  "through,"  goes  with  the  fact  that  the 
second  adornment  is  metaphorical.  The  author  of 
the  Pastorals  was  extremely  fond  of  the  phrase 
"  good,  or  beautiful,  works."  He  uses  it  fourteen 
times.  His  temperament  was  not  at  all  specu- 
lative, but  eminently  practical.  He  reserves  all 
his  enthusiasm  for  good  conduct.  Only  once  does 
he,  in  true  Pauline  fashion,  suggest  the  contrast 
between  faith  and  works  (Tit.  iii.  5). 

11,12.  to  learn  .  .  .  not  to  teach.  If  it  is  re- 
membered that  the  words  were  written  in  the  East, 
where  it  is  proverbial  that  "  woman  has  never  a  soul 
to  save,"  it  will  be  seen  that  it  was  a  great  step  of 
progress  to  permit  her  even  to  learn.  But  she  is 
still  to  be  kept  in  subjection.  She  may  glorify  God 
by  good  works  in  private,  but  not  by  good  words 
in  public.  She  must  neither  teach  nor  rule,  but  be 
**  in  quietness  " — the  last  words  are  repeated  with 


214  Westminster  New  Testament 

emphasis.  Logically  this  forbids  her  nowadays  to 
be  a  Sunday-school  teacher,  or  an  evangelist,  or  a 
missionary.  But  injunctions  regarding  the  subjec- 
tion of  woman,  like  those  regarding  the  obedience  of 
bond-servants,  can  only  be  regarded  as  provisional. 
Both  women  and  slaves  have  been  educated  and 
emancipated.  Queen  Elizabeth  and  Queen  Vic- 
toria have  made  ^^the  regiment  {i.e.  sovereignty) 
of  women,"  Elizabeth  Fry  and  Catherine  Booth  the 
evangelism  of  women,  facts  beyond  dispute.  The 
Holy  Spirit  has  set  His  seal  to  the  consecrated  use 
of  all  Nature's  gifts  to  woman. 

13.  Adam  .  .  .  then  Eve.  Adam  was  created 
first  and  sinned  second,  Eve  was  created  second 
and  sinned  first.  Therefore  let  woman  recognise 
that  she  is  both  weaker  and  worse  than  man,  and 
let  her  never  attempt  either  to  teach  or  to  control 
him.  The  premises  of  this  argument — in  which 
the  Rabbis,  to  their  shame,  delighted — find  no 
confirmation  either  in  science  or  in  experience. 

15.  she  shall  be  saved.  Woman's  devotion  to 
domestic  duties,  her  absorption  in  her  children, 
will  be — in  a  popular,  not  a  theological  sense — her 
salvation.  Here  the  German  Hausfrau  is  the 
ideal. 


I  Tim.  iii.  1-13. 

THE  CHARACTER  OF  BISHOPS  AND 
DEACONS. 

This  is   a   true  saying,    If  a  man   desire   the   office  of  a 

2  bishop,  he  desireth  a  good  work.     A  bishop  then  must  be 
blameless,  the   husband   of  one   wife,   vigilant,  sober,    of 

3  good  behaviour,    given   to  hospitality,  apt   to  teach  ;   not 
given  to  wine,  no  striker,  not  greedy  of  filthy  lucre  ;  but 


I  Timothy  iii.  1-13  215 

4  patient,  not  a  brawler,  not  covetous ;  one  that  ruleth  well 
his  own  house,  having  his  children  in  subjection  with  all 

5  gravity  ;  (for  if  a  man  know  not  how  to  rule  his  own  house, 

6  how  shall  he  take  care  of  the  church  of  God  ?)  Not  a  novice, 
lest  being  lifted  up  with  pride  he  fall  into  the  condemna- 

7  tion  of  the  devil.  Moreover  he  must  have  a  good  report 
of  them  which  are  without ;  lest  he  fall  into  reproach  and 

8  the  snare  of  the  devil.  Likewise  must  the  deacons  be 
grave,  not   doubletongued,  not  given  to  much  wine,  not 

9  greedy  of  filthy  lucre  ;  holding  the  mystery  of  the  faith  in 

10  a  pure  conscience.  And  let  these  also  first  be  proved  ; 
then  let   them   use   the   office   of  a  deacon,  being  found 

11  blameless.      Even   so    must    their    wives  be  grave,    not 

12  slanderers,  sober,  faithful  in  all  things.  Let  the  deacons 
be  the  husbands  of  one  wife,  ruling  their  children  and  their 

13  own  houses  well.  For  they  that  have  used  the  office  of  a 
deacon  well  purchase  to  themselves  a  good  degree,  and 
great  boldness  in  the  faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Some  of  the  qualifications  for  the  episcopacy  and 
the  diaconate  now  call  forth  the  remark^  "  Surely 
that  goes  without  saying  !  "  The  bishop  must  be 
the  husband  of  one  wife,  must  not  take  too  much 
wine,  must  not  be  a  striker  or  brawler !  But  these 
things  serve  to  throw  a  strong  light  on  the  con- 
ditions in  which  the  early  Church  was  working 
and  the  abuses  she  was  setting  herself  to  correct. 
The  injunctions  are  still  very  useful  in  the  similar 
environment  of  the  modern  mission  field. 

1.  a  bishop.  "Bishop/'  "apostle,"  and 
"deacon"  were  at  first  loose,  interchangeable 
terms,  expressing  "oversight,"  "mission,"  and 
"  service  " — functions  rather  than  offices.  In  time 
they  have  become  specific  and  distinct.  In  the 
Pastorals  the  "oversight"  is  an  office  which  a  man 
may  seek,  but  it  is  still  far  from  the  monarchical 


2i6  Westminster  New  Testament 

episcopate  of  Ignatius,  a  fact  which  fixes  their 
date  within  the  first  century.  It  is  a  question 
whether  Paul  liimself  was  a  methodical  adminis- 
trator, skilled  in  ecclesiastical  polity,  or  ''  a  mighty 
idealist  filled  with  Christian  enthusiasm,  who  knew 
no  other  church  government  than  that  of  Christ 
Himself  inspiring  His  disciples  with  the  knowledge 
of  what  they  ought  to  do  and  say  "  (Reville). 

2.  one  wife.  The  meaning  is  not  that  a  bishop 
should  marry  only  once,  but  that  he  should  not 
have  two  wives  at  once.  Many  converts  would 
have  a  plurality  of  wives,  and  they  might  not  be 
immediately  required  to  put  them  all  away  except 
one,  but  it  was  self-evident  that  only  the  man 
whose  own  house  was  in  order  could  be  called  to 
take  care  of  the  Church  of  God. 

6.  lifted  up  with  pride.  "  Puffed  up,"  think- 
ing little  of  the  sacred  duties  of  the  office  but 
much  of  its  honours,  the  bishop  may  fall  into  the 
same  condemnation  as  the  devil,  his  ambition 
being  his  ruin,  his  pride  going  before  destruction. 

7.  good  testimony.  One  might  almost  say 
a  good  "  testimonial "  from  those  who  are  without. 
The  opinion  of  men  of  the  world  is  not  to  be 
disregarded  in  the  choice  of  Church  overseers. 
Their  spiritual  vision  is  necessarily  dim,  but  their 
moral  judgments  are  shrewd.  They  do  not  know 
theology,  but  they  know  a  good  man.  Their 
reproach  is  a  thing  to  fear. 

9.  the  mystery.  The  now  open  secret,  hidden 
from  none  who  have  spiritual  discernment  (see 
Eph.  i.  9). 

11.  women  in  like  manner.  Not  wives,  but 
women  deacons.  The  position  of  the  injunction — 
right    in    the    midst    of    the   instructions    about 


I  Timothy  iii.  14-16  217 

deacons  —  makes  this  clear.  Phoebe  is  called  a 
deaconess^  or  servant,  of  the  church  of  Cenchraea, 
probably  in  an  unofficial  sense  (Rom.  xvi.  1);  but 
here  is  a  technical  order  of  deaconesses,  "grave 
.  .  .  faithful  in  all  things."  Kohler  suggests  that 
the  verse  may  be  a  marginal  note  that  has  got  into 
the  text ;  this  would  explain  why  the  next 
sentence  so  strangely  returns  to  the  duties  of 
deacons. 

13.  a  good  degree.  Or,  rather, "  standing."  This 
does  not  mean  a  higher  step  in  the  ladder  of  Church 
honours,  nor  promotion  in  the  Last  Day,  but  the 
personal  esteem  and  influence  in  the  Church  which 
are  won  by  faithful  service.  Moral  prestige  is  the 
idea. 

I  Tim.  iii.  14-16. 
THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  FOUNDER. 

14  These  things  write   I   unto  thee,  hoping  to   come   unto 

15  thee  shortly:  but  if  I  tarry  long,  that  thou  mayest  know 
how  thou  oughtest  to  behave  thyself  in  the  house  of  God, 
which  is    the   church  of  the  living   God,    the   pillar  and 

16  ground  of  the  truth.  And  without  controversy  great  is 
the  mystery  of  godliness  :  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh, 
justified  in  the  Spirit,  seen  of  angels,  preached  unto  the 
Gentiles,  believed  on  in  the  world,  received  up  into 
glory. 

Exemplary  conduct  is  expected  of  those  who 
are  members  of  the  household  of  God,  which  has 
to  uphold  the  truth  in  the  world,  bearing  its  testi- 
mony to  the  great  Mystery  of  godliness — Christ 
Himself  in  His  various  earthly  and  heavenly  re- 
lations. 

14.  The  writer's  movements  are  uncertain.     He 


2i8  Westminster  New  Testament 

offers  counsel  and  warning  in  case  his  hopes  of  a 
personal  visit  are  disappointed. 

15.  the  house  of  God.  While  in  the 
O.T.  this  meant  the  temple,  in  the  N.T.  it 
means  not  the  dwelling-house  but  the  living 
household  of  God.  In  the  absence  of  the 
definite  article,  Hort  thinks  we  should  read  "a 
house  .  .  .  which  is  a  church  ...  a  pillar  and 
ground/'  meaning  a  local  church,  such  as  the 
one  at  Ephesus.  But  this  is  vei*y  doubtful.  It 
is  much  more  likely  that  the  whole  society  of 
believers,  the  Church  universal,  is  regarded  as  the 
ground  and  stay  of  the  truth. 

16.  the  mystery  of  godliness.  The  Divine 
Secret  on  which  godliness  is  nourished.  It  is 
scarcely  to  be  rendered  "  the  mystery  of  our  (ob- 
jective) religion"  ;  the  idea  is  here  more  intimate 
and  personal.  As  in  Col.  i.  27,  the  Mystery  is 
Christ  Himself.  He  who,  not  "God"  {Jios,  not 
Theos),  is  undoubtedly  the  right  reading  (R.V.). 
The  "  Secret "  is  alluded  to  in  tones  of  awe,  as 
if  one  reverently  hesitated  to  raise  a  veil.  The 
great  Name  is  intentionally  left  unspoken,  but  all 
the  initiated  will  at  once  understand,  and  supply 
the  sweetest  Name  on  mortal  tongue.  The  words 
which  follow  are  probably  taken  from  an  early 
Christian  hymn  or  creed.  The  six  clauses  are 
arranged  in  pairs,  perhaps  for  antiphonal  chanting. 
Each  clause  presents  some  aspect  of  our  Lord's 
career,  from  His  birth  to  His  ascension,  with  a 
progression  of  ideas,  however,  which  is  not  temporal 
but  poetical.  "Justified  in  the  Spirit,"  probably 
means  "justified  when  He  rose  from  the  grave  in 
a  spiritual  body."  Flesh  is  contrasted  with  Spirit, 
angels  with  nations,  and  world  with  glory.     "  This 


I  Timothy  iv.  1-5  219 

fragment,  in  its  grand  lapidary  style,  is  worthy  to 
be  placed  by  the  side  of  the  Apostles'  Creed" 
(Kohler). 

I  Tim.  iv.  1-5. 

FALSE  TEACHERS. 

Now    the    Spirit    speaketh    expressly,    that    in    the    latter 
times  some  shall   depart   from   the   faith,  giving  heed  to 

2  seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils ;  speaking  Hes  in 
hypocrisy ;    having    their    conscience   seared   with   a   hot 

3  iron  ;  forbidding  to  marry,  and  commanding  to  abstain 
from  meats,  which  God  hath  created  to  be  received 
with  thanksgiving  of  them  which  believe  and  know   the 

4  truth.     For  every  creature  of  God  is  good,  and  nothing 

5  to  be  refused,  if  it  be  received  with  thanksgiving :  for 
it  is  sanctified  by  the  word  of  God  and  prayer. 

The  Church  must  be  prepared  for  aberrations 
from  the  faith — for  seductive  doctrines  inspired 
from  beneath  and  ascetic  practices  that  mask  evil 
lives.  Let  her  maintain  her  Christian  liberty, 
counting  all  meats  clean  (as  her  Lord  did)  which 
are  consecrated  by  God's  word  and  by  prayer. 

1.  the  faith.  Not  so  much  the  individual's  sub- 
jective trust  as  the  Church's  objective  creed.  The 
word  was  rarely,  if  ever,  used  in  this  sense  in 
the  first  Christian  age.  devils  .  .  .  men.  The 
writer  teaches  that  demons,  or  seducing  spirits, 
pervert  men's  minds,  and  then  men  pervert  the 
truth.  It  is  not  enough  to  explain  sin  psychologic- 
ally ;  one  is  ultimately  driven  back  to  metaphysics. 

2.  hypocrisy.  Such  seduction  may  explain,  but 
does  not  excuse,  the  hypocrisy  of  men  who  speak 
lies.  Their  sin  is  laid  to  their  own  charge. 
Indeed,  it  is  well  known  that,  however  they  brazen 


220  Westminster  New  Testament 

it  out  before  men^  they  are  branded  in  their 
own  consciences,  as  delinquent  slaves  were 
branded  in  their  bodies,  so  that  they  know  them- 
selves guilty.  The  meaning  is  not  "  seared " 
(A.  v.),  callous,  hardened  beyond  feeling,  but 
"  self-condemned."  The  inward  monitor  has  not 
ceased  to  speak ;  it  is  still  doing  its  work  to  good 
purpose.  "To  sit  alone  with  my  conscience  is 
judgment  enough  for  me." 

s,  4.  forbidding  .  .  .  commanding :  where 
God  neither  forbade  nor  commanded.  Celibacy 
and  asceticism  were  already  in  vogue  when  the 
Pastorals  were  written.  "  The  liberty  of  a  Christian 
man,"  for  which  Luther  had  long  after  to  con- 
tend so  strenuously,  was  imperilled,  which  God 
created.  This  was  what  the  Gnostic  denied. 
Flesh  and  matter  were  to  him  inherently  bad,  so 
bad  that  the  great  God  could  have  had  no  hand  in 
their  creation,  which  must  have  been  the  work  of 
some  demigod.  Such  an  idea  the  writer  utterly 
repudiates.  Christianity  will  have  nothing  to  do 
with  any  morbid  view  of  the  world.  In  all  things 
it  is  healthy-minded.  If  to  some  minds  flesh  seems 
intrinsically  evil,  "  there  is  nothing  either  good  or 
bad,  but  thinking  makes  it  so."  It  is  the  thinker, 
not  the  thing,  that  is  wrong.  Christ  has  redeemed 
man's  body  as  well  as  his  soul,  and  He  has  taught 
His  followers  to  make  all  meats  clean  (Mark 
vii.  19). 

5.  it  is  sanctified.  All  human  life  has  been 
consecrated  by  the  word  of  God,  and  is  daily 
consecrated  by  prayer.  "Word  of  God"  does 
not  mean  exclusively  the  written  word.  One  is 
tempted  to  write  Word  with  a  capital  letter.  In 
the  highest  sense,  our  earthly  lot  has  been  hallowed 


I  Timothy  iv.  6-16  221 

by  the  living  Divine  Word,  who  became  flesh  and 
dwelt  among  men. 

I  Tim.  iv.  6-16. 
A  GOOD  MINISTER. 

6  If  thou  put  the  brethren  in  remembrance  of  these  things, 
thou  shalt  be  a  good  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  nourished 
up  in  the  words  of  faith   and   of  good   doctrine,  where- 

7  unto  thou  hast  attained.  But  refuse  profane  and  old 
wives'  fables,  and   exercise  thyself  rather  unto  godliness. 

8  For  bodily  exercise  profiteth  little  :  but  godliness  is  pro- 
fitable  unto   all   things,  having   promise   of  the   life  that 

9  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come.    This  is  a  faithful 

10  saying  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation.  For  therefore  we 
both  labour  and  suffer  reproach,  because  we  trust  in  the 
living  God,  who  is   the  Saviour  of  all  men,  specially  of 

11  those  that  believe.      These  things   command   and  teach. 

12  Let  no  man  despise  thy  youth  ;  but  be  thou  an  example 
of  the  believers,  in  word,  in  conversation,  in  charity,  in 

13  spirit,  in  faith,  in  purity.      Till  I  come,  give  attendance 

14  to  reading,  to  exhortation,  to  doctrine.  Neglect  not  the 
gift  that  is  in  thee,  which  was  given  thee  by  prophecy, 
with    the   laying    on    of    the    hands    of    the    presbytery. 

1 5  Meditate  upon  these  things  ;  give  thyself  wholly  to  them  ; 

16  that  thy  profiting  may  appear  to  all.  Take  heed  unto 
thyself,  and  unto  the  doctrine  ;  continue  in  them  :  for  in 
doing  this  thou  shalt  both  save  thyself,  and  them  that 
hear  thee. 

A  good  minister  is  nourished  on  the  words  of 
the  faith,  not  on  fables  ;  he  practises  godliness,  not 
asceticism  ;  he  is  an  example  to  believers ;  he  is 
a  zealous  reader,  exhorter,  and  teacher  ;  cultivating 
his  gifts  and  concentrating  his  energies,  he  makes 
visible    progress ;  ever  taking  heed   to  his  life  as 


222  Westminster  New  Testament 

much  as  to  his  teachings  he  saves  himself  as  well 
as  his  hearers. 

6,  7.  nourished  in  the  words.  ''The  words 
of  the  faith  "  are  the  bread  of  life.  They  do  more 
than  gratify  the  intellectual  passion  for  learning  ; 
they  create  vital  energy.  Man  lives  by  them 
(Matt.  iv.  4).  fables.  Lit.  '^  myths,"  described  as 
profane  and  senile,  bordering  on  the  one  hand  on 
blasphem)^,  on  the  other  on  dotage.  This  applies 
equally  to  the  grotesque  imaginations  of  the  Rabbis 
and  the  philosophical  figments  of  the  Gnostics. 

8.  bodily  exercise  refers  not  to  athleticism 
but  to  asceticism.  The  writer  approves  of  a  due 
attention  to  the  body.  Some  men  would  do  well 
to  fast  more,  others  to  eat  more.  It  is  a  matter 
to  be  determined  by  common  sense,  and  has  a 
little  bearing  upon  health  and  happiness.  But 
godliness  is  beneficial  for  all  things.  It  is 
characteristic  of  the  writer's  sober,  practical  habit 
of  mind  that  he  speaks  of  the  profitableness  of 
godliness.  The  utilitarian  spirit,  which  wishes  to 
make  the  best  of  both  worlds,  is  not  entirely 
absent.  This  is  in  harmony  with  the  fact  that  a 
somewhat  rigid  and  formal  piety  is  here  the 
highest  conception,  whereas  in  the  earlier  epistles 
faith  in  the  risen  Christ  and  ecstatic  union  with 
Him  are  the  master-ideas. 

10.  God  .  .  .  the  Saviour.  See  i.  i.  all 
men.  Divine  grace  is  all-embracing,  but  it  is  by 
faith  that  some  men  receive  it,  and  so  are  specially 
blessed. 

12.  thy  youth.  This  may  expose  Timothy, 
as  a  spiritual  guide,  to  criticism.  But  he  may 
atone  for  "  the  crime  of  being  a  young  man,"  and 
display  qualities  which  will  make  him  a  shining 


I  Timothy  v.  1-16  223 

example  to  every  believer.  The  position  of 
faith  in  the  ranks  with  the  other  graces,  instead 
of  being  the  leader  of  them  all,  calls  for  note 
(cf.  vi.  1 1  ;  2  Tim.  ii.  22). 

13.  give  heed  to  reading.  The  public  read- 
ing of  the  O.T.  (Acts  xiii.  15;  2  Cor.  iii.  14); 
probably,  too,  by  this  time,  of  apostolic  letters  and 
evangelical  memoirs. 

14.  the  gift  that  is  in  thee.  The  gift,  or 
Divine  fire,  is  essential  to  the  preacher.  In  the 
earlier  epistles  it  falls  on  all  believers,  without 
any  second  cause,  by  the  supernatural  working  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Here  it  is  limited  to  the 
preacher,  and  mediated  by  the  Church,  first 
through  the  influence  of  prophetic  voices,  and 
second  through  the  touch  of  holy  men.  The  age 
of  prophetic  enthusiasm  appears  to  have  passed, 
and  that  of  churchmanship  begun. 

15.  Here  the  changes  in  the  R.V.  are  important 
— "be  diligent"  for  "meditate,"  and  "progress" 
for  "profiting." 

16.  Take  heed.  There  is  a  climax  in  the 
words  of  urgent  entreaty  addressed  to  the 
preacher:  take  heed,  neglect  not,  be  diligent, 
give  thyself,  continue,  save  thyself.  Eternal 
issues,  for  himself  and  others,  hang  on  his 
fidelity. 

I  Tim.  V.  i-i6. 
THE  CONSECRATION  OF  WIDOWHOOD. 

Rebuke  not  an  elder,  but  intreat  him  as  a  father  ;  and  the 

2  younger  men  as  brethren  ;  the  elder  women  as  mothers  ; 

3  the  younger  as  sisters,  with  all  purity.     Honour  widows 

4  that  are  widows  indeed.     But  if  any  widow  have  children 


224  Westminster  New  Testament 

or  nephews,  let  them  learn  first  to  shew  piety  at  home, 
and  to  requite  their  parents  :    for   that   is   good   and  ac- 

5  ceptable  before  God.  Now  she  that  is  a  widow  indeed, 
and  desolate,  trusteth  in  God,  and  continueth  in  supplica- 

6  tions  and  prayers  night  and  day.     But  she  that  liveth  in 

7  pleasure  is  dead  while  she  liveth.     And  these  things  give 

8  in  charge,  that  they  may  be  blameless.  But  if  any 
provide  not  for  his  own,  and  specially  for  those  of  his 
own  house,  he  hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than 

9  an  infidel.  Let  not  a  widow  be  taken  into  the  number 
under  threescore  years  old,  having   been  the  wife  of  one 

10  man,  well  reported  of  for  good  works ;  if  she  have 
brought  up  children,  if  she  have  lodged  strangers,  if  she 
have  washed  the  saints'  feet,  if  she  have  relieved  the 
afflicted,  if  she  have  diligently  followed  every  good  work. 

1 1  But  the  younger  widows  refuse  :  for  when  they  have  begun 

12  to  wax  wanton  against  Christ,  they  will  marry  ;  having 
damnation,  because   they  have  cast    off   their   first   faith. 

13  And  withal  they  learn  to  be  idle,  wandering  about  from 
house    to    house ;    and   not    only   idle,    but   tattlers   also 

14  and  busybodies,  speaking  things  which  they  ought  not.  I 
will  therefore  that  the  younger  women  marry,  bear 
children,    guide   the    house,    give    none    occasion   to   the 

15  adversary  to  speak  reproachfully.     For  some  are  already 

16  turned  aside  after  Satan.  If  any  m^an  or  woman  that 
believeth  have  widows,  let  them  relieve  them,  and  let  not 
the  church  be  charged  ;  that  it  may  relieve  them  that  are 
widows  indeed. 

This  passage  presents  difficulties.  Some  con- 
fusion is  caused  by  the  simultaneous  treatment 
of  two  subjects — the  Church's  care  of  poor  widows, 
and  the  establishing  of  an  order  of  widows,  rich 
or  poor,  to  serve  the  Church.  Only  widows  (in 
the  ordinary  sense)  who  are  really  destitute, 
homeless,  and  friendless  are   to  be  provided   for 


I  Timothy  v.  1-16  225 

out  of  the  Church  funds.  No  one  can  be  received 
into  the  sacred  order  of  Church  widows  till  she 
is  sixty  years  of  age,  and  unless  she  is  devout  and 
prayerful,  w4th  the  record  of  a  life  already  spent 
in  good  works.  An  unfavourable  judgment  is 
passed  upon  younger  widows.  Some  of  them 
have  ^^  turned  aside  unto  Satan,"  and  for  this 
reason  all  of  them  are  refused  admission  into 
the  holy  sisterhood.  They  are  advised  to  re- 
marry, in  the  hope  that  the  grace  of  God  may 
come  to  them  along  the  channel  of  domestic 
duties. 

1.  elder  means  here  senior,  implying  nothing 
official.  Elder  and  younger  men  and  women  are 
to  be  treated  as  fathers  and  brothers,  mothers  and 
sisters.  The  Church  is  a  holy  family  (see  Matt, 
xii.  50). 

4-8.  let  them  first  learn.  "First"  means 
before  they  seek  Church  relief.  them  is 
ambiguous.  The  meaning  may  be  either  that 
widows  are  to  show  their  piety  (or  godliness)  at 
home  by  caring  (if  they  can)  for  their  family,  or 
that  the  family  are  to  show  their  piety  by  caring 
for  their  widowed  mother.  Either  sense  is  quite 
good.  Not  to  provide  for  one's  own  is  to  be 
worse  than  an  unbeliever,  who  obeys  the 
dictates  of  nature  and  conscience  (see  Mark  vii. 
11-13). 

9,  10.  enrolled  as  a  widow.  Lit.,  "  put  on 
the  catalogue."  Frequent  reference  is  made  in 
the  writings  of  the  sul3-apostolic  age  to  this  order 
of  Church  widows,  consecrated  to  a  life  of  prayer 
and  good  deeds.  Evidently  it  resembled  some 
modern  sisterhoods.  There  is  an  entrance  test 
which   is  decidedly  severe :    the  candidates  must 


6  Westminster  New  Testament 


22 


already   have   lived    holy   and    beautiful   lives    of 
active  usefulness. 

12.  condemnation.  Probably  the  meaning  is 
that  younger  widows  have  incurred  the  displeasure 
of  the  community  because  they  have  broken  the 
vow  of  service  which  they  have  too  rashly  made. 
They  have  not  kept  faith  with  the  Church. 
Therefore  in  future  the  younger  widows  are  all 
to  be  refused  admission  into  the  new  order.  It 
is  evident  that  this  veto,  like  that  on  female 
prophesying,  was  of  the  nature  of  emergency 
legislation.  It  would  soon  be  discovered  that  the 
age  limit  made  many  a  good  and  faithful  worker 
bury  her  talent  in  the  earth. 


I  Tim.  V.  17-25. 

TIMOTHY'S  RELATION  TO  ELDERS- 
PERSONAL  ADVICE. 

17  Let  the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted  worthy  of  double 
honour,    especially   they   who    labour   in    the   word    and 

18  doctrine.  For  the  scripture  saith,  Thou  shalt  not  muzzle 
the  ox  that  treadeth  out  the  corn.     And,   The  labourer  is 

19  worthy  of  his  reward.     Against  an  elder  receive  not  an 

20  accusation,    but   before    two   or   three   witnesses.      Them 

21  that  sin  rebuke  before  all,  that  others  also  may  fear.  I 
charge  thee  before  God,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
the  elect  angels,  that  thou  observe  these  things  without 
preferring  one  before  another,  doing  nothing  by  partiality. 

22  Lay  hands  suddenly  on  no  man,  neither  be  partaker   of 

23  other  men's  sins  :  keep  thyself  pure.  Drink  no  longer 
water,  but  use  a  little  wine  for  thy  stomach's  sake  and 

24  thine  often  infirmities.  Some  men's  sins  are  open  before- 
hand,  going  before  to  judgment ;    and  some  men   they 


I  Timothy  v.  17-25  227 

25  follow  after.  Likewise  also  the  good  works  of  some  are 
manifest  beforehand ;  and  they  that  are  otherwise  cannot 
be  hid. 

Elders  are  to  be  honoured,  remunerated,  and 
unmolested.  Should  one  of  them  really  offend  in 
life  or  doctrine,  he  is  to  be  reproved  before  his 
brethren.  No  man  is  to  be  hastily  ordained,  and 
there  must  be  no  favouritism.  Judgment  against 
offenders  is  sometimes  very  easy,  sometimes  very 
difficult.  In  a  surprising  digression  Timothy  is 
warned  against  asceticism  in  the  form  of  total 
abstinence  from  wine. 

17.  the  elders.  In  ver.  1  "elder"  meant  senior, 
here  it  means  presbyter.  Age  has  given  a  name 
to  office.  While  all  the  elders  rule,  some  are 
also  engaged  in  teaching",  and  the  latter  are  paid 
for  their  services. 

18.  The  labourer.  The  quotation  is  from 
Luke  X.  7,  which  seems  to  indicate  that  when 
the  Pastorals  were  written  the  Evangelical  nar- 
ratives were  already  regarded  as  scripture. 

19.  Against  an  elder.  This  wise  rule  is  taken 
from  Deut.  xix.  15. 

20.  21.  before  (twice).  Better,  "in  the  sight 
of."  Each  elder  is  to  live  in  the  sight  of  all  his 
brethren.  Timothy  is  to  realise  that  he  is  in  the 
sight  of  God,  Christ,  and  unfallen  angels.  The 
nearness  of  the  good,  and  especially  of  the  best, 
has  an  immense  constraining  and  restraining  power 
over  us.  The  silent  appeal  from  the  eyes  of  those 
whom  we  honour  and  love  is  irresistible.  The 
Greek  word  for  prejudice  (R.V.)  is  a  Latinism, 
one  of  several  which  occur  in  the  Pastorals. 

22.  Lay  hands  hastily.    This  probably  refers 


228  Westminster  New  Testament 

to  the  ordination  of  elders.  The  office  is  sacred, 
laxity  and  haste  in  the  choice  and  appointment  of 
officers  is  sacrilege.  To  condone  or  ignore  sin  is 
to  share  it. 

23.  In  a  digression  Timothy  is  advised  to  drink 
a  little  wine,  not  as  a  beverage,  but  as  a  medicine. 
Up  till  that  time  he  had  been  abstaining.  It  was 
the  age  of  the  Gnostic,  who  sought  salvation  by 
asceticism,  making  abstinence  not  only  a  regimen 
but  a  religion.  Water-drinking  had  thus  come  to 
be  associated  with  deadly  error  !  At  such  a  time 
a  man  is  bound  to  assert  his  liberty,  whether  he 
uses  it  or  not.  It  was  in  view  of  an  entirely 
different  situation  that  Paul,  without  laying  down 
any  law,  stated  a  far  higher  principle  (Rom.  xiv.  21). 

24,  25.  before  .  .  .  after.  Some  men's  sins  are 
so  patent  that  they  seem  to  come  to  court  before 
the  culprit,  making  his  trial  a  mere  form ;  others 
will  not  come  till  they  are  hunted  out  of  their 
lairs.  Sooner  or  later  man's  goodness  comes  to 
light  (cf.  Ps.  xxxvii.  6). 

I  Tim.  vi.  I,  2. 

THE  DUTIES  OF  SLAVES. 

Let  as  many  servants  as  are  under  the  yoke  count  their  own 
masters  worthy  of  all  honour,  that  the  name  of  God  and 
2  his  doctrine  be  not  blasphemed.  And  they  that  have 
believing  masters,  let  them  not  despise  them,  because  they 
are  brethren  ;  but  rather  do  them  service,  because  they 
are  faithful  and  beloved,  partakers  of  the  benefit.  These 
things  teach  and  exhort. 

Christian  slaves  are  greatly  to  honour,  and  faith- 
fully to  serve,   their   masters,  whether   pagan  or 


I  Timothy  vi.  3-10  229 

Christian.     This  will  be  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  gospel. 

1.  under  the  yoke.  This  is  a  reference  to 
the  old  practice  of  making  captives  pass  under  a 
"yoke,"  formed  of  a  spear  laid  on  two  upright 
spears,  as  the  symbol  of  their  degradation  to  slavery. 
Just  because  bond-service  was  the  hardest  of  lots, 
it  was  the  one  in  which  Christians  had  the  finest 
opportunity  of  displaying  the  power  of  faith.  A 
great  responsibility  rested  on  Christian  slaves,  for 
many  critical  eyes  were  on  them.  If  they  were 
not  better  men  and  servants  than  others,  would 
not  their  God  and  their  creed  be  blasphemed 
by  the  heathen  ? 

2.  believing  masters.  They  are  men  who 
recognise  the  spiritual  liberty,  equality,  and 
brotherhood  of  all  believers,  sitting  side  by  side 
with  their  slaves  at  the  Table  of  the  Lord.  This 
wonderful  change  from  the  old  tyrannical  relation- 
ship puts  Christian  slaves  on  their  honour.  They 
will  not  for  a  moment  imagine  that  they  are  free 
to  be  insolent  to  such  men,  who  though  their 
brothers  in  Christ  are  their  masters  still,  to  be 
served  with  all  the  greater  heartiness  and  fidelity 
because  they  are  believing  and  beloved. 

I  Tim.  vi.  3-10. 
FALSE  DOCTRINE. 

3  If  any  man  teach  otherwise,  and  consent  not  to  wholesome 
words,  even  the  words  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  the 

4  doctrine  which  is  according  to  godliness ;  he  is  proud, 
knowing  nothing,  but  doting  about  questions  and  strifes 
of  words,  whereof  cometh   envy,   strife,  railings,  evil   sur- 

5  misings,   perverse  disputings  of   men  of    corrupt  minds, 


230  Westminster  New  Testament 

and  destitute  of  the  truth,  supposing  that  gain  is  godliness  : 

6  from  such  withdraw  thyself.     But  godliness  with  content- 

7  ment  is  great   gain.       For   we  brought  nothing  into  this 

8  world,  and  it  is  certain  we  can  carry  nothing  out.     And 

9  having  food  and  raiment  let  us  be  therewith  content.  But 
they  that  will  be  rich  fall  into  temptation  and  a  snare,  and 
into  many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,  which  drown  men  in 

10  destruction  and  perdition.  For  the  love  of  money  is  the 
root  of  all  evil :  which  while  some  coveted  after,  they  have 
erred  from  the  faith,  and  pierced  themselves  through  with 
many  sorrows. 

Those  who  teach  unsound  doctrine  are  proud, 
ignorant,  disputatious,  corrupt,  covetous.  Chris- 
tians alone  have  true  riches  and  know  the  secret  of 
contentment.  Covetousness  exposes  men  to  many 
temptations,  and  is  the  root  of  all  kinds  of  evil. 

3-5.  a  different  doctrine.    Opposed  to  the 

doctrine  which  is  in  harmony  with  godliness 
(see  i.  3).  In  the  writer's  mind  orthodoxy  and 
reverence  go  together,  while  heterodoxy  keeps 
company  with  impiety.  Heretics  are  conceited, 
ignorant,  quarrelsome,  selfish.  To  those  sweeping 
statements  there  were,  one  hopes,  some  exceptions. 
But  the  age  of  honest  doubt  was  apparently  not 
yet  come.  Heretics  do  not  as  a  rule  now  try  to 
appear  godly  for  the  sake  of  gain. 

6.  But  godliness  .  .  .  is  .  .  .  gain.  This  is  a 
pious  afterthought.  The  writer  would  of  course 
repudiate  the  idea  of  commending  religion  merely 
because  it  pays.  He  does  not  confound  piety  with 
prudence.  Nevertheless,  he  thinks  it  well  to  assure 
his  readers  that  godliness  is  gain.  Perhaps  he 
does  it  in  the  spirit  of  the  philosophical  maxim 
that  virtue  is  its  own  reward. 

7.  for    neither    (R.V.).      Here    ^-for"    seems 


I  Timothy  vi.  11--16  231 

clearly  (as  Hort  says)  an  intrusion ;  it  mars  the 
beauty  of  a  pathetic  utterance  that  links  together 
birth  and  death.  This  is  one  of  those  rare  cases 
where^  in  spite  of  all  the  MS.  authority,  the  A.V. 
gives  us  what  the  author  most  probably  wrote  or 
dictated. 

9,  10.  desire  to  be  rich.  The  evil  of  money 
lies  in  the  desire  for  it,  the  love  of  it,  the  reaching 
after  it,  as  if  it  were  the  chief  good.  The  best  as 
well  as  the  worst  of  men  have  to  seek  it ;  but 
while  the  former  consecrate  it  to  God,  and  make 
it  a  blessing  to  the  world,  the  latter  spend  it  on 
their  lusts,  and  make  it  a  curse  to  everybody. 


I  Tim.  vi.  11-16. 
EXHORTATIONS  TO   FIDELITY. 

1 1  But  thou,  O  man  of  God,  flee  these  things ;  and  follow 
after  righteousness,  godliness,  faith,  love,  patience,  meek- 

12  ness.  Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith,  lay  hold  on  eternal 
life,  whereunto  thou  art  also  called,  and  hast  professed  a 

13  good  profession  before  many  witnesses.  I  give  thee  charge 
in  the  sight  of  God,  who  quickeneth  all  things,  and  before 
Christ  Jesus,  who  before  Pontius  Pilate  witnessed  a  good 

14  confession ;  that  thou  keep  this  commandment  without 
spot,  unrebukeable,  until  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus 

15  Christ :  which  in  his  times  he  shall  shew,  who  is  the 
blessed  and  only  Potentate,  the  King  of  kings,  and  Lord 

16  of  lords ;  who  only  hath  immortality,  dwelling  in  the 
light  which  no  man  can  approach  unto  ;  whom  no  man  hath 
seen,  nor  can  see :  to  whom  be  honour  and  power  ever- 
lasting.    Amen. 

Timothy  is  to  flee  all  that  is  evil  and  follow  all 
that  is  good,  to  remember  his  own  good  confession 


232  Westminster  New  Testament 

and  that  of  his  Lord,  to  keep  the  sacred  charge 
he  has  received  until  the  return  of  Christ,  which 
will  be  effected  by  the  one  glorious  God  who  is 
over  all. 

11.  man  of  God.  Like  some  O.T.  prophet, 
called  and  dedicated  to  God's  service  (l  Kings 
xvii.  1 8,  24).  "  His  one  thought  was  God,  in  that 
one  thought  he  abode."  righteousness.  In  the 
great  epistles  righteousness  is  the  gift  of  God,  the 
state  of  acceptance  with  Himself  into  which  one 
enters  by  faith.  In  the  Pastorals  (except  in  2  Tim. 
iv.  8)  it  means  ethical,  subjective,  human  righteous- 
ness— right  conduct  between  man  and  man.  The 
position  of  faith,  in  the  middle  of  a  group  of 
graces,  instead  of  leading  the  van,  is  again  remark- 
able, for  what  is  meant  is  saving  faith  in  God,  not 
fidelity  to  man  (cf.  iv.  12). 

12.  the  good  fight.  Here  the  figure  is  athletic 
rather  than  military,  taken  from  the  arena,  not 
the  field  of  battle.  The  contest  is  Faith  against 
Unbelief,  and  the  prize  is  eternal  life.  So  2  Tim. 
iv.  7.  the  good  confession — that  which  eveiy 
Christian  ought  to  make  (Matt.  x.  32) — was  made 
by  Timothy  before  many  witnesses.  This  may 
refer  to  his  baptism,  his  ordination,  or  to  that  time 
of  trial  and  imprisonment  which  is  mentioned  in 
Heb.  xiii.  23. 

13.  in  the  sight  of  God.  Timothy  is  reminded 
that  there  are  still  more  august  witnesses  of  his 
whole  life.  He  is  ever  under  the  eyes  of  God 
and  Christ  Jesus,  who  .  .  .  witnessed.  The 
preacher's  spirit  is  stirred  by  the  memory  of  the 
grand  pattern  of  all  good  confessions,  that  of 
Christ  Himself  before  Pilate.  How  much  it  once 
cost  to  be  true  to  one's  convictions  is  pathetically 


I  Timothy  vi.  17-19  233 

indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  word  for  witness 
{inartus,  whence  "  martyr  ")  gradually  came  to  mean 
one  who  laid  down  his  life  for  the  truth. 

14.  the  commandment.  This  may  mean 
either  the  charge  contained  in  the  present  para- 
graph, or  the  whole  Pastoral  charge  to  hold  and 
preach  the  gospel  in  its  purity.  the  appear- 
ing. The  Second  Advent.  There  are  two  words 
for  our  Lord's  return,  and  the  one  used  in  the 
Pastorals  (epiphany^  occurs  but  once  in  the  earlier 
epistles,  in  a  passage  where  it  is  combined  with 
the  other  word — ''  the  manifestation,  or  appearing, 
of  His  presence  "  (^parousia,  2  Thess.  ii.  8). 

15.  only  Potentate.  This  splendid  passage  is 
probably  another  extract  from  a  primitive  Christian 
hymn  or  creed.  In  iii.  l6  Christ  was  exalted, 
here  God  is  glorified.  The  attributes  in  which 
He  is  clothed  have  a  bearing  on  a  definite  situation. 
They  meet  and  answer  the  spirit  of  the  times. 
They  are  intended  for  the  reflection  of  all  who 
are  either  coquetting  with  the  theosophy  of  the 
Gnostics  or  conniving  at  the  apotheosis  of  the 
Caesars.  The  repeated  only  is  very  impressive. 
What  are  all  aeons  and  emperors  in  the  presence 
of  the  King  of  kings  ?  He  is  the  only  Potentate  ; 
He  only  hath  immortality. 


I  Tim.  vi.  17-19. 
PRECEPTS  FOR  WEALTHY  CHRISTIANS. 

1 7  Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this  world,  that  they  be  not 
highminded,  nor  trust  in  uncertain  riches,  but  in  the  living 

18  God,  who  giveth  us  richly  all  things  to  enjoy  ;  that  they 
do  good,  that  they  be  rich  in  good  works,  ready  to  dis- 


234  Westminster  New  Testament 

19  tribute,  willing  to  communicate ;  laying  up  in  store  for 
themselves  a  good  foundation  against  the  time  to  come, 
that  they  may  lay  hold  on  eternal  life. 

Christian  men  of  wealth  are  exhorted  to 
humility,  faith,  liberality,  to  preparation  for  the 
future,  to  thoughts  of  the  only  life  which  deserves 
the  name. 

17-19.  rich  .  .  .  rich:  in  different  senses.  He 
who  is  rich  in  gold  is  urged  to  become  rich  in 
good  works.  Not  he  who  has  much,  but  he  who 
gives  much,  is  rich  before  God.  The  writer  rings 
the  changes  on  this  theme.  The  one  kind  of 
wealth  is  uncertain,  the  other  is  sure  as  a  bed- 
rock— a  firm  foundation  on  which  one  may  build 
for  all  time  to  come,  life  indeed.  This  is  in 
contrast  with  the  sense-life,  or  self-life,  which 
when  it  is  over  seems  but  a  shadow,  a  vapour, 
a  dream.  Much  that  is  called  life  is  mere  existence 
or  vegetation.  The  life  in  God  is  real  on  both 
sides  of  the  grave. 


I  Tim.  vi.  20,  21. 
FINAL  APPEAL  TO  TIMOTHY. 

20  O  Timothy,  keep  that  which  is  committed  to  thy  trust, 
avoiding  profane  and  vain  babblings,  and  oppositions  of 

21  science    falsely   so   called ;    which   some   professing   have 
erred  concerning  the  faith.     Grace  be  with  thee.     Amen. 

20.  that  which  is  committed.  Literally,  "  the 

deposit."  The  word  occurs  again  in  2  Tim.  i.  12,  14, 
and  nowhere  else.  In  the  present  passage  there 
can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  meaning.  The  deposit 
is     the     treasure     of     evangelical    truth — as    dis- 


I  Timothy  vi.  20,  21         235 

tinguished  from  every  kind  of  error — entrusted  to 
Timothy's  keeping,  oppositions.  Some  scholars 
find  in  this  word  an  allusion  to  Marcion's 
"  Antitheses  " — his  tabulated  passages  from  the 
Old  Testament  and  the  Gospel  arranged  to  prove 
the  difference  of  the  two  economies  and  the 
superiority  of  the  latter.  In  that  case  the  sentence 
must  be  (as  Harnack  thinks)  a  very  late  addition. 
But  "  antitheses  "  may  mean  any  teaching  opposed 
to  true  Christian  doctrine,  knowledge  falsely 
SO  called.  The  word  for  knowledge  is  gnosis^ 
and  here  a  direct  reference  to  the  system  of  the 
Gnostics  seems  most  probable.  These  teachers 
aiTogated  this  name  to  themselves  because  they 
claimed  to  be  able  to  penetrate  the  deepest 
secrets  of  existence  by  a  purely  rational  know- 
ledge. They  stood  at  the  opposite  pole  from  the 
modem  Agnostic^  who  disowns  all  knowledge  of 
the  ultimate  mysteries  of  life.  Their  "know- 
ledge "  is  here  dismissed  as  "  pseudonymous/' 
falsely  named  ;  as  so  much  babble,  full  of  sound, 
empty  of  sense. 

21.  have  erred.  The  word  for  "err"  is 
confined  to  the  Pastorals,  where  it  occurs  four 
times.  It  means  "  miss  the  mark,"  and  there  is 
pathos  in  this  final  touch.  Heretics  are  not  con- 
demned to  suffer.  They  need  fear  no  inquisition 
They  have  simply  "  missed  the  mark." 


236  Westminster  New  Testament 


2  Tim.  i.  I,  2. 

THE  SALUTATION. 

Paul,    an   apostle   of  Jesus   Christ   by   the   will    of  God, 
according  to  the  promise  of  life  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus, 

2  to  Timothy,  my  dearly  beloved  son  :  Grace,  mercy,  and 
peace,  from  God  the  Father  and  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

1.  The  salutation  is  shorter  than  those  at  the 
beginning  of  the  other  Pastorals,  according  to 
is  ambiguous.  It  may  mean  that  Paul  was  called 
either  on  the  ground  of  the  promise^  or  for  the 
sake  of  publishing  the  promise  (cf  Tit  i.  1).  my 
beloved  son.  Better,  child  (as  in  1  Tim.  i.  2), 
always  dear,  and  dearer  than  ever  when  the  end 
is  in  sight.  Here  the  word  does  not  necessarily 
imply  more  than  kinship  of  spirit,  whereas  the 
phrase  used  in  1  Tim.  i.  2,  "  my  true  child  in  the 
faith/'  seems  to  presuppose  spiritual  parentage. 

2  Tim.  i.  3-14. 
THE  SPIRIT  OF  POWER. 

3  I  thank  God,  whom  I  serve  from  my  forefathers  with  pure 
conscience,    that  without  ceasing  I  have  remembrance  of 

4  thee  in  my  prayers  night  and  day ;  greatly  desiring  to  see 
thee,  being  mindful  of  thy  tears,  that  I  may  be  filled  with 

5  joy  5  when  I  call  to  remembrance  the  unfeigned  faith  that 
is  in  thee,  which  dwelt  first  in  thy  grandmother  Lois,  and 
thy  mother  Eunice  ;  and  I  am  persuaded  that  in  thee  also. 

6  Wherefore  I  put  thee  in  remembrance  that  thou  stir  up  the 
gift  of  God,  which  is  in  thee  by  the  putting  on  of  my  hands. 

7  For  God  hath  not  given  us  the  spirit  of  fear  ;  but  of  power, 

8  and  of  love,  and  of  a  sound  mind.  Be  not  thou  therefore 
ashamed  of  the  testimony  of  our  Lord,  nor  of  me  his 


2  Timothy  i.  3-14  237 

prisoner :   but  be  thou  partaker  of  the  afflictions  of  the 

9  gospel  according  to  the  power  of  God  ;  who  hath  saved  us, 

and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according  to  our 

works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  which 

10  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began,  but  is 
now  made  manifest  by  the  appearing  of  our  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  who  hath  abolished  death,  and  hath  brought  life 

1 1  and  immortality  to  light  through  the  gospel :  whereunto  I 
am  appointed  a  preacher,  and  an  apostle,  and  a  teacher 

12  of  the  Gentiles.  For  the  which  cause  I  also  suffer  these 
things  :  nevertheless  I  am  not  ashamed  :  for  I  know  whom 
I  have  believed,  and  am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep 
that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against  that  day. 

13  Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  which  thou  hast  heard 

14  of  me,  in  faith  and  love  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  That 
good  thing  which  was  committed  unto  thee  keep  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  which  dwelleth  in  us. 

Timothy  is  ever  in  Paul's  thoughts  and  prayers. 
The  apostle's  confidence  in  him  is  based  on  two 
things — his  personal  and  inherited  faith,  and  his 
Divine  gift  or  Charism.  One  of  the  marks  of  the 
true  gospel  is  that  it  emancipates  those  who  pro- 
claim it  from  all  fear  and  all  shame.  It  gives  them 
the  spirit  of  power ;  it  clothes  them  with  God's 
own  might.  It  makes  them  willing  to  suffer,  for  it 
irradiates  their  lives  with  the  hope  of  immortality. 

3,  5.  forefathers  .  .  .  grandmother  .  .  . 
mother.  Paul  rejoices  to  remember  that  both 
he  and  his  dearest  friend  have  an  inherited  faith. 
Paul's  ancestors  served  God,  and  Timothy's  grand- 
mother Lois  and  his  mother  Eunice  gave  him  an 
example  of  sincere  faith.  It  was  the  influence  of 
these  devout  women  that  constrained  Timothy  to 
accept  Christ  with  all  the  ardour  of  young  man- 
hood.    While  faith  is  a  personal  relation  to  God, 


238  Westminster  New  Testament 

it  is  unquestionably  strengthened  by  the  memory 
of  a  line  of  believing  "forbears."  Grace  does  not 
run  in  the  blood,  but  it  is  natural  and  almost 
inevitable  that  the  ties  of  religion  should  be 
entwined  with  those  of  home  and  kindred. 

4.  tears  .  .  .  joy.  The  younger  man's  tears  at 
parting,  the  elder  man's  joy  at  meeting.  Both  of 
them  were  men  of  deep  feeling,  anything  but  Stoics. 
Timothy  was  probably  the  more  emotional  of  the  two, 
but  Paul  too  had  many  melting  moods  (see  2  Cor. 
ii.  4 ;  Phil.  iii.  18),  and  bids  others  not  only  rejoice  with 
those  who  do  rejoice  but  weep  with  those  who  weep. 

5.  thy  mother.  Timothy  belonged  to  that  great 
company  of  sons — including  Augustine,  Chrysostom, 
Basil,  the  Wesleys,  not  to  speak  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
— whose  spiritual  indebtedness  to  their  mothers 
has  been  inestimable. 

6.  stir  up  the  gift.  The  English  is  less  ex- 
pressive than  the  Greek,  which  means  "stir  (the 
embers)  into  a  flame."  God's  gift  to  the  preacher 
of  glowing  heart  and  kindling  speech  needs  assidu- 
ous attention  to  keep  it  from  burning  low  like 
the  dull  glimmer  of  dying  embers  on  the  hearth, 
laying  on  of  my  hands.  In  1  Tim.  iv.  14  the  im- 
position of  the  hands  of  the  elders,  not  of  Paul,  is  the 
medium  by  which  the  Divine  fire  comes  to  Timothy. 
But  there  is  no  contradiction  if  we  regard  Paul 
as  presiding  at  the  ordination,  while  the  Presbytery 
assisted  him.  Protestants  have  agreed  to  interpret 
this  rite  as  the  outward  sign  and  seal  of  an  inward 
spiritual  grace  already  imparted,  Catholics  as  the 
mysterious  means  of  there  and  then  conveying 
Divine  grace  by  a  human  channel.  If  the  latter 
interpretation  is  correct — which  is  not  improbable — 
the  conception  must  be  pronounced  quite  un-Pauline. 


2  Timothy  i.  3-14  239 

7.  a  sound  mind.  The  R.V.  has  "discipHne/' 
meaning  thereby  the  schooUng  of  others.  But  "  self- 
discipUne  "  would  probably  come  nearer  the  idea : 
"  that  calm  self-possession,  that  presence  of  mind, 
which  is  the  indispensable  condition  of  all  success- 
ful activity  "  (Kohler). 

8.  suffer  hardship  with  the  gospel  (R.V.). 
Here  the  gospel  is  personified  and  regarded  as 
sensitively  suffering  in  a  selfish  world.  Timothy  is 
exhorted  to  suffer  with  it.  But  the  more  probable 
sense  is,  '^  Suffer  hardship  with  me  (Paul)  on  behalf 
of  the  gospel"  (see  ver.  12). 

9.  saved  us  .  .  .  called  us.  "  Us "  means  not 
merely  "  you  and  me,"  but  all  believers.  The  holy 
calling  which  they  receive  is  both  to  a  heavenly 
life  and  an  earthly  service.  This  beautiful  passage 
on  the  work  of  Christ  is  saturated  with  Pauline  ideas. 
One  thing  alone  is  new.  The  grace  of  God  was  not 
only  prepared  for  us,  but  given  to  us,  in  Christ 
Jesus,  before  times  eternal.  Compare  John's 
great  conception  of  "the  Lamb  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world"  (Rev.  xiii.  8).  The 
Atonement  and  its  benefits  are  regarded  sub  specie 
celernitatis. 

10.  abolished  death  (see  l  Cor.  xv.  55).  For 
the  Christian  "  there  is  no  death,  what  seems  so  is 
transition."  Christ  has  brought  life  and  incorrup- 
tion  to  light.  Plato  reasoned  well,  and  gave  a 
noble  voice  to  the  pathetic  human  longing  after 
immortality.  But  he  confessed  that  he  was  only 
groping  in  the  region  of  shadows.  The  philo- 
sopher, the  poet,  the  lover,  and  the  saint  have 
each  his  own  special  arguments  for  a  Hereafter. 
But  it  is  Christ  who  is  the  Light  both  of  this 
world    and   the   world    to   come.       His   objective 


240  Westminster  New  Testament 

resun-ection  irradiated  the  spiritual  land.  It  con- 
firmed men's  subjective  aspirations  and  changed 
them  into  things  most  surely  believed.  It  makes 
every  Christian  certain  of  a  life  beyond  the  grave. 

12.  I  know  whom.  Better,  "I  know  Him 
whom."  The  apostle  has  trusted  God,  and  is 
persuaded  that  He  is  able  to  guard  his  deposit, 
that  is,  the  treasure  of  evangelical  truth  which 
God  has  committed  to  him.  There  is  a  beautiful 
mutual  trust.  Paul  is  God's  trustee,  and  will  do  his 
best  to  fulfil  his  sacred  obligations,  but  he  rejoices 
that  God  Himself,  and  no  mere  man,  is  the  supreme 
and  ultimate  Trustee  and  Guardian  of  the  faith. 
This  is  certainly  the  meaning  of  the  word  ^^  deposit " 
in  the  two  other  passages  where  it  occurs  (1  Tim. 
vi.  20  ;  2  Tim.  i.  14),  and  there  is  no  reason  for 
changing  it  here  as  both  the  A.V.  and  the  R.V.  do. 

14.  guard  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Timothy  is 
enjoined  to  guard  his  deposit,  received  primarily 
from  Paul,  ultimately  from  God,  and  to  do  it  in 
the  might  of  the  Holy  Spirit  who  has  taken  up 
His  abode  in  him  as  in  all  believers. 

2  Tim.  i.  15-18. 

MANY  APOSTATES  AND  A  FAITHFUL 
FRIEND. 

15  This  thou  knowest,  that  all  they  which  are  in  Asia  be 
turned  away  from  me ;  of  whom  are  Phygellus  and  Her- 

16  mogenes.  The  Lord  give  mercy  unto  the  house  of  Onesi- 
phorus  ;  for  he  oft  refreshed  me,  and  was  not  ashamed  of 

17  my  chain :  but,  when  he  was  in  Rome,  he  sought  me  out 

18  very  diligently,  and  found  me.  The  Lord  grant  unto  him 
that  he  may  find  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day  :  and  in 
how  many  things  he  ministered  unto  me  at  Ephesus,  thou 
knowest  very  well. 


2  Timothy  ii.  1-13  241 

Paul  has  been  saddened  by  the  desertion  of 
some  of  his  followers  in  the  province  of  Asia^  but 
he  pours  out  his  feelings  of  warm  gratitude  for 
the  kindness  of  a  Christian  of  Ephesus^  who  not 
only  helped  him  when  he  was  in  that  city,  but 
has  since  then  sought  him  out  and  cheered  him 
in  his  Roman  prison.  "  This  short  paragraph  be- 
longs to  those  portions  of  the  Pastoral  Epistles 
before  whose  naturalness  and  directness  the  critic 
is  silenced.  Here  a  genuine  fragment  of  an 
apostolic  letter  has  probably  been  used  "  (Kohler). 

15.  The  two  deserters  named  are  otherwise 
quite  unknown.  Whether  they  should  be  called 
recreants  from  Christ  as  w^ell  as  from  Paul 
we  cannot  tell.  Timothy  no  doubt  knew  them 
well. 

16.  Onesiphorus  is  one  who  does  nothing  by 
halves.  He  refreshes  Paul  "oft";  he  seeks  him 
out  "diligently";  he  ministers  to  him  in  "  many 
things."  He  earns  the  blessing  promised  to  those 
who  do  a  kindness  to  Christ  by  visiting  and  minis- 
tering to  a  prisoner  (Matt.  xxv.  40). 

18.  the  Lord  grant.  This  parenthesis  (R.V.)  is 
a  slender  foundation  for  a  doctrine  of  prayers  for 
the  dead,  which  some  have  built  upon  it.  We 
have,  first,  no  right  to  assume  that  Onesiphorus 
was  dead  ;  and,  second,  a  fervent  ejaculation  is  not 
the  same  thing  as  a  deliberate,  set  prayer. 


2  Tim.  ii.  1-13. 

ENDURANCE  AND  ITS  REWARD. 

Thou  therefore,  my  son,  be  strong  in  the  grace  that  is  in 
2  Christ  Jesus.     And  the  things  that  thou  hast  heard  of  me 

16 


242  Westminster  New  Testament 

among  many  witnesses,  the  same  commit  thou  to  faithful 

3  men,  who  shall  be  able  to  teach  others  also.     Thou  there- 
fore endure  hardness,  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. 

4  No  man  that  warreth  entangleth  himself  with  the  aftairs 
of  this  life  ;  that  he  may  please  him  who  hath  chosen  him 

5  to  be  a  soldier.     And  if  a  man  also  strive  for  masteries,  yet 

6  is  he  not  crowned,  except  he  strive  lawfully.     The  husband- 
man that   laboureth  must   be  first   partaker  of  the  fruits. 

7  Consider  what  I  say  ;  and  the  Lord  give  thee  understand- 

8  ing  in  all  things.     Remember  that  Jesus  Christ  of  the  seed 
of  David  was  raised  from  the  dead  according  to  my  gospel : 

9  wherein  I  suffer  trouble,  as  an  evil  doer,  even  unto  bonds  ; 

10  but  the  word  of  God  is  not  bound.  Therefore  I  endure 
all  things  for  the  elect's  sakes,  that  they  may  also  obtain 
the  salvation  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  with  eternal  glory. 

11  It  is  a  faithful  saying  :  For  if  we  be  dead  with  him,  we 

12  shall  also  live  with  him  :  if  we  suffer,  we  shall  also  reign 

13  with  him:  if  we  deny  him,  he  also  will  deny  us:  if 
we  believe  not,  yet  he  abideth  faithful :  he  cannot  deny 
himself. 

Timothy  is  exhorted  to  suifer  like  a  soldier,  to 
strive  like  an  athlete,  to  labour  like  a  husbandman. 
He  is  to  keep  himself  unen tangled,  that  he  may 
at  any  moment  obey  his  Master's  behests.  He  is 
cheered  by  thoughts  of  the  risen  Christ,  by  Paul's 
own  example,  by  the  vision  of  the  eternal  glory 
of  God's  elect.  He  is  reminded  that  every  man 
reaps  as  he  sovv^s. 

2.  commit  thou.  Or,  '^deposit  thou."  The 
noun  is  found  in  i.  12,  14.  The  writer  is  careful 
that  there  should  be  a  tradition  of  Christian 
doctrine  in  the  Church.  He  entrusts  the  truth 
to  Timothy,  who  is  to  commit  it  to  faithful  (or 
believing)  men,  who  will  teach  others,  and  so  on. 
This    is    a    fine    conception — Quasi    cursores,   vitce 


2  Timothy  ii.  1-13  243 

lampada  tradunt.  But  it  is  evident  that  "  the  real 
tradition  of  doctrine  is  dependent  on  the  character 
of  the  teachers,  and  is  not  bound  up  with  the 
privileges  of  a  class "  (Kohler).  The  apostolic 
succession  is  an  evangelical  succession. 

S-5.  a  good  soldier.  Military  language 
abounds  in  the  Roman  epistles.  The  soldier's  life 
is  one  of  hardship.  He  must  put  the  claims  of 
king  and  country  above  those  of  home  and  family. 
He  must  keep  himself  detached,  unentangled, 
though  the  attachments  of  life  are  just  the  most 
pleasant  part  of  i€  Nor  is  the  athlete's  life  easy. 
If  the  strong  man  who  runs  a  race  desires  to  win 
the  victor's  wreath,  he  must  obey  the  rules  of  the 
sport  to  the  letter.  There  is  no  prize  to  the  com- 
petitor who  does  not ''  play  the  game."  How  much 
(the  apostle  often  says  to  himself)  the  Christian 
has  to  learn  from  both  the  soldier  and  the  athlete ! 
What  sacrifices  they  make,  how  terribly  they  toil, 
for  their  own  ideal — military  or  athletic  glory. 
Will  not  Timothy  and  every  other  Christian  do 
as  much  for  their  Lord  } 

6.  The  husbandman.  The  emphatic  word  in 
this  sentence  is  laboureth.  The  diligent,  labour- 
ing husbandman,  as  distinguished  from  the  idler, 
the  fritter-day,  will  see  the  harvest  first.  The 
field  of  the  slothful  is  described  in  Prov.  xxiv.  30. 
Spiritual  tillage  is  always  toilsome ;  the  office  can 
never  be  a  sinecure ;  but  all  husbandry  is  God's 
as  well  as  man's  (1  Cor.  iii.  9),  and  He  gives  the 
increase. 

8.  Remember   Jesus  Christ.    This    is    the 

Christian's  inspiration  as  he  goes  to  work  and  to 
war.  He  remembers  not  only  the  dead  Christ  of 
the    past,   but    the    risen,    living    Christ    of    the 


244  Westminster  New  Testament 

present.     He  remembers  Him  at  the  Supper  that 
he  may  remember  Him  everywhere. 

9.  as  a  malefactor.  This  term  is  historically 
exact.  Paul  was  accused^  and  ultimately  con- 
demned, not  as  a  Christian,  but  as  a  disturber  of 
the  peace,  an  evil-doer.  To  be  a  Christian  was 
not  in  itself  a  crime  till  the  days  of  Domitian 
(8 1-96  A.D.).  the  word  .  .  .  not  bound.  For  so 
much  liberty  as  this  the  captive  is  grateful.  From 
his  prison  he  is  free  to  send  forth  winged  words 
that  will  fly  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  His  soul 
suffers  from  no  prison  damp  or  cramp.  Other 
captives  have  rejoiced  in  the  same  freedom  of  the 
pen,  and  as  splendidly  used  it :  John  on  his  rocky 
isle,  Bunyan  in  his  Bedford  ^klen,"  Rutherford  in 
his  city  by  the  Northern  Sea. 

10.  for  the  elect's  sake.  Paul  endures  all 
things  i?i  order  that  the  elect  may  obtain  salvation 
with  eternal  glory.  Election  is  not  a  Divine  fiat 
that  settles  matters  out  of  hand.  It  counts  not 
only  upon  the  vicarious  suffering  of  Christ,  but 
upon  the  ministerial  labour  and  suffering  of  His 
Church.      It  is  conditioned  by  human  sympathy. 

11-13.  faithful  .  .  .  saying.  The  words  thus 
introduced  are  doubtless  an  extract  from  another 
ancient  hymn  or  confession.  Their  rhythm  and 
euphony  are  perfect.  They  might  well  have  been 
printed  in  poetical  form.  What  courage  they  must 
have  inspired  in  those  days  of  persecution  !  They 
form  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  suggestive 
fragments  of  early  Christianity.  Some  think  that 
the  words  if  we  died  refer  to  spiritual  death 
in  baptism,  but  there  is  more  blood  and  fire  in 
them  than  that.  They  mean  ^Mf  we  died  as 
martyrs." 


2  Timothy  ii.  14-26  245 

2  Tim.  ii.  14-26. 
THE  FAITHFUL  PREACHER. 

14  Of  these  things  put  them  in  remembrance,  charging  them 
before  the  Lord  that  they  strive  not  about  words  to  no 

15  profit,  but  to  the  subverting  of  the  hearers.  Study  to 
shew  thyself  approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that  needeth 
not  to  be  ashamed,    rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth. 

16  But    shun    profane    and   vain    babblings :    for   they   will 

17  increase  unto  more  ungodliness.  And  their  word  will  eat 
as  doth  a  canker  :  of  whom  is  Hymenseus  and  Philetus  ; 

18  who  concerning  the  truth  have  erred,  saying  that  the 
resurrection  is  past  already ;   and  overthrow  the  faith  of 

19  some.  Nevertheless  the  foundation  of  God  standeth  sure, 
having  this  seal.  The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his. 
And,  Let  every  one  that  nameth  the  name  of  Christ  depart 

20  from  iniquity.  But  in  a  great  house  there  are  not  only 
vessels  of  gold  and  of  silver,  but  also  of  wood  and  of  earth  ; 

21  and  some  to  honour,  and  some  to  dishonour.  If  a  man 
therefore  purge  himself  from  these,  he  shall  be  a  vessel 
unto  honour,  sanctified,  and  meet  for  the  master's  use,  and 

22  prepared  unto  every  good  work.  Flee  also  youthful  lusts  : 
but  follow  righteousness,  faith,  charity,  peace,  with  them 

23  that  call  on  the  Lord  out  of  a  pure  heart.  But  foolish  and 
unlearned  questions  avoid,  knowing  that  they  do  gender 

24  strifes.     And  the  servant  of  the  Lord  must  not  strive  ;  but 

25  be  gentle  unto  all  men,  apt  to  teach,  patient,  in  meekness 
instructing  those  that  oppose  themselves ;  if  God  per- 
adventure  will  give  them  repentance  to  the  acknowledging 

26  of  the  truth  :  and  that  they  may  recover  themselves  out 
of  the  snare  of  the  devil,  who  are  taken  captive  by  him 
at  his  will. 

The  servant  of  Christ  the  Lord  is  to  be  a  faithful 
workman,  diligent,  consecrated,  efficient  ;  shunning 
what    is    unprofitable    as   well    as    what    is    evil, 


246  Westminster  New  Testament 

ardently  pursuing  the  true  and  the  good ;  ever 
peaceful,  gentle,  forbearing ;  endeavouring  by  his 
spirit  as  well  as  his  teaching  to  charm  his 
opponents  back  from  the  mazes  of  error  to  the 
paths  of  repentance  and  obedience. 

14.  strive-about-words.  From  the  Greek  we 
derive  our  English  term  "logomachy."  To 
wrangle  about  party  catchwords  and  shibboleths 
is  as  unprofitable  as  beating  the  air.  It  subverts 
the  hearers.  If  Christianity  is  only  a  battle  of 
words,  sane  men  wish  to  be  saved  from  it. 

15.  approved  unto  God.  Among  these 
argumentative  doctors  Timothy  cannot  hope  to  win 
golden  opinions.  It  would  be  no  good  sign  if  his 
words  and  actions  commanded  their  approval.  But 
that  must  not  concern  him.  To  his  own  Master 
he  stands  or  falls.     God's  approval  is  enough. 

17.  a  gangrene.  This  means  a  cancer  in  the 
Church,  the  body  of  Christ,  extremely  difficult  to 
excise,  and  almost  certain  to  grow  again  and  again. 
An  appalling  image  of  the  fatal  results  of  the 
levity  of  spiritual  guides. 

18.  resurrection  .  .  .  past.  It  is  difficult  to 
know  exactly  what  was  the  doctrine  of  the  two 
teachers  named.  Perhaps  they  asserted  that  the 
only  resurrection  which  a  Christian  needs  is 
spiritual.  They  may  even  have  quoted  a  number 
of  Pauline  passages  on  that  subject  (such  as 
Rom.  vi.  11  ;  Col.  iii.  1),  ignoring  others  which 
speak  of  a  literal  resurrection.  If  it  had  fallen 
to  Paul  himself  to  correct  this  error,  would  he  not 
have  given  explanations  ? 

19.  the  foundation  of  God.  When  so  many 
strange  doctrines  were  floating  in  the  air,  it  was 
a   comfort    to    think    of    what    was    stable.     The 


2  Timothy  ii.  14-26  247 

Church  which  God  had  founded  was  firm  as  His 
own  eternal  throne.  After  the  manner  of  ancient 
temples  and  public  buildings,  the  foundation  is 
said  to  have  two  mystical  inscriptions,  the  one 
regarding  the  mutual  knowledge  of  Christ  and  His 
members,  and  the  other  regarding  the  holiness  of 
those  who  name  His  Name. 

20.  honour  .  .  .  dishonour.  Here  the  Church 
is  regarded  as  a  mixed  society  (cf.  Matt.  xiii.  47). 
Its  members  are  like  the  vessels  of  a  great  house, 
to  be  honoured  or  dishonoured  by  the  Master. 
The  humblest  member  may  be  like  a  vessel  of 
pure  gold,  the  greatest  like  one  of  base  pewter. 
What  our  Master  looks  for  in  all  the  members 
of  His  household  alike  is  golden  conduct. 

"  Honour  and  shame  from  no  condition  rise  : 
Act  well  thy  part,  there  all  the  honour  lies." 

22.  flee  .  .  .  follow.  This  is  excellent  moral 
strategy.  Do  not  fight,  but  flee,  youthful  lusts, 
and  pursue  other  things.  It  is  not  the  dictate 
of  cowardice,  but  of  common  sense.  The  way  to 
conquer  temptation  is  to  switch  the  mind  entirely 
off  what  is  evil  and  switch  it  on  to  what  is  good. 
We  should  now  call  this  good  psychology. 

24.  must  not  strive.  The  subject  of  this 
paragraph  is  "the  Lord's  servant,"  and  here  we 
learn  that  his  doctrine  is  after  all  but  one  thing. 
His  spirit  and  bearing  towards  all  men,  and 
especially  his  opponents,  are  equally  important. 
He  can  accomplish  as  much  by  courtesy  and 
charity  as  by  preaching  and  teaching.  The 
servant  has  always  the  Master  as  his  model : 

"  A  soft,  meek,  patient,  humble,  tranquil  spirit, 
The  first  true  Gentleman  that  ever  breathed." 


248  Westminster  New  Testament 

26.  taken  captive.  The  R.V.  gives  an  entirely 
new  turn  to  this  difficult  sentence^  and  introduces 
the  beautiful  idea^  perfectly  consonant  with  what 
has  gone  before^  that  it  is  the  business  of  the 
Lord's  servant  to  captivate  souls  to  do  the  will  of 
God.  Every  true  preacher  has  a  certain  personal 
magnetism,  a  spiritual  fascination,  which  is  the 
gift  of  One  who  from  the  Cross  takes  all  hearts 
captive. 

2  Tim.  iii.  1-9. 
DEGENERATES. 

This  know  also,  that  in  the  last  days  perilous  times  shall 

2  come.  For  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their  own  selves, 
covetous,   boasters,    proud,    blasphemers,    disobedient    to 

3  parents,  unthankful,  unholy,  without  natural  affection, 
trucebreakers,  false  accusers,  incontinent,  fierce,  despisers 

4  of    those    that    are    good,    traitors,    heady,    highminded, 

5  lovers  of  pleasures  more  than  lovers  of  God ;  having  a 
form  of  godliness,  but  denying  the  power  thereof:   from 

6  such  turn  away.  For  of  this  sort  are  they  which  creep 
into  houses,  and  lead  captive  silly  women  laden  with  sins, 

7  led  away  with  divers  lusts,  ever  learning,  and  never  able 

8  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  Now  as  Jannes 
and  Jambres  withstood  Moses,  so  do  these  also  resist  the 
truth  :    men  of  corrupt   minds,   reprobate   concerning   the 

9  faith.  But  they  shall  proceed  no  further :  for  their  folly 
shall  be  manifest  unto  all  men,  as  theirs  also  was. 

This  passage  is  modelled  on  O.T.  prophecy, 
opening  with  the  formula,  "  in  the  last  days." 
The  list  of  twenty  varieties  of  decadents  in  the 
coming  times  does  not  seem  to  be  arranged  in  any 
logical  order.  There  are  pairs,  such  as  "  self-lovers, 
money-lovers";  ^^pleasure-lovers,  God-lovers";  and 


2  Timothy  iii.  1-9  249 

studied  assonances  which  can  scarcely  be  reproduced 
in  English^  Hke  our  '^^ haughty,  naughty" ;  '^  unthink- 
ing, unthanking,"  These  degenerates  are  Christians 
only  in  name  ;  their  godliness  is  an  outward  show, 
not  an  inward  power.  They  prey  on  the  credulity  of 
weak-minded  women ;  they  resist  the  truth ;  they 
are  corrupt  and  reprobate. 

4.  pleasure  .  .  .  God.  Alford  quotes  an 
interesting  parallel  in  Philo  about  "people  who 
are  pleasure-lovers  and  passion-lovers  rather  than 
virtue-lovers  and  God-lovers." 

5.  form  .  .  .  power.  "Form"  has  here  its 
worst  meaning ;  it  is  what  Carlyle  politely  calls  a 
simulacrum,  and  more  rudely  a  sham. 

6.  creep  into  houses.  Evidently  the  houses 
of  ladies  of  society.  "  One  has  not  to  look  far 
around  in  order  to  see  feature  after  feature  of  this 
sharply-etched  picture  confirmed  to-day,  and  that 
not  only  among  the  Jesuits"  (Kohler).  The 
word  for  "take  captive,"  or  captivate,  is  different 
from  that  in  ii.  26.  Unhappily  there  is  not  only 
the  fascination  of  the  Lord's  servant,  but  that  of 
the  devil's. 

8.  Jannes  and  Jambres.  These  are  the 
traditional  names  of  the  Egyptian  magicians  who 
by  their  enchantments  imitated  the  miracles 
wrought  by  Moses  before  Pharaoh  (Ex.  vii.  11). 
They  are  found  in  some  of  the  Targums,  in  Pliny, 
Polybius,  and  many  other  ancient  authors.  It  is 
not  like  our  Lord  or  Paul  to  quote  such  traditions. 

9.  theirs  also  refers  to  the  same  enchanters. 
The  idea  is  that  as  much  as  Israel's  wonder- 
worker was  greater  than  Egypt's,  so  much  is 
orthodoxy  greater  than  heterodoxy.  The  illustra- 
tion has  now  lost  some  of  its  force. 


250  Westminster  New  Testament 

2  Tim.  iii.  10-17. 
PAUL'S  TEACHING  AND  EXAMPLE. 

10  But  thou  hast  fully  known  my  doctrine,  manner  of  life, 

11  purpose,  faith,  longsuffering,  charity,  patience,  persecu- 
tions, afflictions,  which  came  unto  me  at  Antioch,  at 
Iconium,  at  Lystra  ;  what   persecutions   I  endured.     But 

12  out  of  them  all  the  Lord  delivered  me.     Yea,  and  all  that 

13  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution.  But 
evil  men  and  seducers  shall  wax  worse  and  worse,  deceiv- 

14  ing,  and  being  deceived.  But  continue  thou  in  the  things 
which  thou  hast  learned  and  hast  been  assured  of,  knowing 

15  of  whom  thou  hast  learned  them  ;  and  that  from  a  child 
thou  hast  known  the  holy  scriptures,  which  are  able  to 
make  thee  wise  unto   salvation  through  faith  which  is  in 

16  Christ  Jesus.  All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 

17  instruction  in  righteousness  :  that  the  man  of  God  may 
be  perfect,  throughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works. 

Timothy  has  rightly  resolved  to  walk  in  the 
footsteps  of  Paul,  teaching,  acting,  suffering  like 
his  master.  Every  pious  Christian  must  be  ready 
for  persecution,  and  while  things  are  getting  worse 
in  the  Church,  Timothy  must  stand  in  the  old 
paths,  believing  and  expounding  the  inspired  scrip- 
tures, which  alone  can  give  men  saving  wisdom, 
and  equip  the  servant  of  God  for  every  duty. 

11.  what  things  befell  me.  It  seems  to  be 
implied  that  Timothy  was  a  witness,  if  not  a  par- 
taker, of  those  sufferings.  But  they  were  really 
experiences  of  the  First  Missionary  .Journey,  before 
he  became  Paul's  companion. 

15.  the  sacred  writings.  The  Hebrew  Bible, 
or  the  Septuagint  version  of  it.     Timothy  knew  it 


2  Timothy  iv.  i-8  251 

from  a  babe.  To  this  day  every  Jewish  boy 
has  to  commit  long  passages  of  the  O.T.  in  the 
original  language.  By  the  time  the  Pastorals 
were  written,  portions  of  the  N.T.  were  also 
probably  regarded  as  holy  scripture,  wise 
unto  salvation.  An  extremely  suggestive  phrase. 
There  is  no  wisdom  for  wisdom's  sake,  any  more 
than  there  is  art  for  art's  sake,  in  the  Bible.  It 
is  all  wisdom  with  an  end — the  salvation  of  sinners 
from  their  sin.  It  all  counts  for  little  or  nothing 
till  it  is  wisdom  up  tO  this  consummation. 

16.  Every  scripture.  The  R.V.  gives  the  true 
rendering  of  this  important  passage,  inspired-of- 
God  means  "filled  with  the  breath  of  God." 
Holy  men  spoke  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  their  great  conceptions  were  enshrined 
in  their  books.  Every  writing  that  is  thus  inspired 
has  abiding  power  to  teach  the  ignorant,  reprove 
the  wrong-doing,  correct  the  erring,  and  train 
in  righteousness  all  men.  The  man  of  God 
who  knows  his  Bible  thoroughly  is  complete 
himself,  and  completely  equipped  for  work 
among  others. 

2  Tim.  iv.  1-8. 

LAST  CHARGE  TO  TIMOTHY. 

I  charge  thee  therefore  before  God,  and  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,   who  shall  judge  the  quick  and   the    dead   at   his 

2  appearing  and  his  kingdom  ;  preach  the  word  ;  be  instant 
in  season,  out  of  season  ;  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort  with  all 

3  longsuffering  and  doctrine.  For  the  time  will  come  when 
they  will  not  endure  sound  doctrine  ;  but  after  their  own 
lusts  shall  they  heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having  itching 

4  ears  ;  and  they  shall  turn  away  their  ears  from  the  truth,  and 


252  Westminster  New  Testament 

5  shall  be  turned  unto  fables.  But  watch  thou  in  all  things, 
endure  afflictions,  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  make  full 

6  proof  of  thy  ministry.     For  I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered,  and 

7  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good 
fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith  : 

8  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness, 
which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall  give  me  at  that 
day  :  and  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  them  also  that  love 
his  appearing. 

A  last  passionate  appeal  to  Timothy  to  strain 
every  nerve  as  a  preacher  and  evangelist.  Errors 
increase  in  the  Church,  religious  fables  find  ready 
credence,  and  the  truth  needs  a  new  champion  to 
do  and  dare  all  things  for  her  sake.  Paul  himself 
is  about  to  quit  the  arena ;  his  days  of  fighting 
and  running  are  over ;  in  his  Lord's  hand  he  sees 
the  crown  of  life,  and  he  goes  to  receive  it. 

1.  Christ  .  .  .  shall  judge.  See  John  v.  27 ; 
Acts  xvii.  31.  his  appearing".  The  word  epiphany  J 
used  here,  is  almost  confined  to  the  Pastorals. 
"  His  coming  "  (paronsia,  presence)  is  the  term  used 
in  the  earlier  epistles. 

3.  itching  ears.  Here  the  R.V.  removes  an 
ambiguity.  It  is  not  the  teachers  but  the  hearers 
whose  ears  itch.  It  is  the  business  of  the  teachers 
to  tickle  such  ears,  and  "heaps  "  of  them  are  willing 
to  do  it.  The  hearers  are  delighted  beyond 
measure ;  they  have  found  teachers  after  their 
own  hearts.  "  After  their  own  lusts,"  says  the 
stern  censor. 

6.  being  offered.  The  Greek  means,  "  I  am 
being  poured  out  as  a  libation."  Seneca  when  dying 
a  Roman  death  took  water  and  poured  out  a  libation 
•^^to  Jupiter  the  Deliverer."  Paul  thinks  of  his 
own  blood  as   the  drink-oflering  presented  to  his 


2  Timothy  iv.  9-22  253 

God  (see  Phil.  ii.  17).  my  departure.  Compare 
King  Arthur's  "  I  pass  but  shall  not  die."  The 
Greek  word  suggests  one  or  other  of  two  ideas  :  "  It 
is  time  that  I  move  my  tent/'  or^  ''  It  is  time  that 
I  put  out  to  sea."     See  Phil.  i.  23. 

7.  fight  .  ,  .  course.  Life  is  an  arena,  where 
men  try  their  strength  with  stout  combatants,  and 
their  speed  with  swift  runners.  Paul  loved  such 
language  ;  the  idea  of  conflict  stirred  his  blood  ; 
he  carried  the  very  spirit  of  the  arena  into  far 
greater  combats.  Like  Browning  :  ''  I  was  ever  a 
fighter,  so — one  fight  more,  the  last  and  the  best !  " 
the  faith.  This  need  not  mean  here — as  in  so 
many  parts  of  the  Pastorals — the  Christian  creed. 
It  is  rather  the  subjective  personal  faith  by  which 
Paul  was  first  saved  long  ago  in  Damascus. 

8.  the  crown  of  righteousness.  It  will  be 
Paul's  crown — his  wreath  of  victory — to  be  ac- 
knowledged as  righteous  by  the  righteous 
judge.  The  beautiful  phrase  does  not  mean  the 
reward  of  right  conduct  among  men,  but  God's  free 
gift  of  celestial  righteousness.  Here,  as  always  in 
the  N.T.,  the  Lord  means  Jesus  Christ. 


2  Tim.  iv.  9-22. 
PERSONAL  DETAILS,  AND  SALUTATIONS. 

9  Do   thy  diligence  to   come   shortly  unto   me  :  for  Demas 

10  hath  forsaken  me,  having  loved  this  present  world,  and  is 
departed   unto  Thessalonica ;  Crescens   to   Galatia,   Titus 

1 1  unto  Dalmatia.     Only   Luke   is   with   me.     Take    Mark, 
and  bring  him  with  thee ;   for  he  is  profitable  to  me  for 

12  the   ministry.     And   Tychicus   have   I    sent   to    Ephesus. 

13  The  cloke  that  I  left  at  Troas,  with  Carpus,  when  thou 


254  Westminster  New  Testament 

comest,  bring  with  thee,  and  the  books,  but  especially  the 

14  parchments.     Alexander  the  coppersmith  did  me  much  evil : 

1 5  the  Lord  reward  him  according  to  his  works  :  of  whom  be 

16  thou  ware  also  ;  for  he  hath  greatly  withstood  our  words.  At 
my  first  answer  no  man  stood  with  me,  but  all  men  forsook 

1 7  me  :  I  pray  God  that  it  may  not  be  laid  to  their  charge.  Not- 
withstanding the  Lord  stood  with  me,  and  strengthened  me  ; 
that  by  me  the  preaching  might  be  fully  known,  and  that  all 
the  Gentiles  might  hear  :  and  I  was  delivered  out  of  the 

18  mouth  of  the  lion.  And  the  Lord  shall  deliver  me  from  every 
evil  work,  and  will  preserve  me  unto  his  heavenly  kingdom  : 

19  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen.     Salute  Prisca 

20  and  Aquila,  and  the  household  of  Onesiphorus.  Erastus 
abode  at  Corinth  :  but  Trophimus  have  I  left  at  Miletum 

21  sick.  Do  thy  diligence  to  come  before  winter.  Eubulus 
greeteth  thee,  and  Pudens,  and  Linus,  and  Claudia,  and  all 

22  the  brethren.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  thy  spirit. 
Grace  be  with  you.     Amen. 

Some  of  these  sentences  bear  on  the  face  of 
them  the  stamp  of  authenticity.  "It  would  be 
incomprehensible^"  as  Kohler  says,  "that  a  later 
writer  should  make  Paul  express  anxiety  about 
books  which  he  had  left  behind.  Historical  sense 
must  acknowledge  that  we  have  here  to  do  with 
a  genuine  epistolary  fragment." 

10.  forsook  me.  Demaswas  one  of  Paul's  com- 
panions in  the  earlier  part  of  the  Roman  imprison- 
ment. He  is  mentioned  in  Col.  iv.  14,  but  without 
a  word  of  praise,  while  others  receive  something 
like  a  distinguished  service  order.  Now  he  is  named 
as  a  deserter.  He  has  gone  over  to  the  ranks  of 
the  enemy.  He  has  followed  his  heart,  which  was 
already  in  the  world.  "Forsook"  is  very  strong 
in  the  Greek.  It  is  the  word  that  is  used  in  Matt, 
xxvii.  46,  "  Why  hast  Thou  forsaken  Me  .''  " 


2  Timothy  iv.  9-22  255 

11.  Only  Luke.  This  sounds  as  if  Luke's  com- 
pany did  not  amount  to  much.  Read^  ^^  Luke 
alone."  Nothing  is  farther  from  Paul's  thoughts 
than  to  depreciate  "  the  beloved  physician." 
Take  Mark.  One  can  imagine  how  great  an 
influence  Paul  exercised  upon  both  of  these  men, 
who  afterwards  wrote  the  Second  and  Third 
Gospels. 

13.  Thecloke.  "Others  translate  the  rare  Greek 
word  as  '  book-holder/  and  think  of  a  case  or  bag 
in  which  Paul  kept  his  precious  rolls.  That  he  had 
left  such  a  piece  of  baggage  behind  him  would  be 
more  easily  understood  than  that  he  should  after 
so  long  a  time  ask  for  his  cloke  "  (Kohler).  The 
books  and  parchments  would  then  be  the  contents 
of  the  portfolio,  but  what  the  much-prized  "  books  " 
themselves  were  we  can  only  conjecture. 

14.  will  render.  The  change  of  tense  (R.V.) 
saves  the  writer  from  the  appearance  of  vindic- 
tiveness.  The  malicious  coppersmith  may  be  the 
same  Alexander  who  is  mentioned  in  1  Tim.  i.  20, 
or  the  one  in  Acts  xix.  33.  Paul  had  more  than 
one  thorn  in  the  flesh. 

16,  17.  no  one  .  .  .  But  the  Lord.  This 
intensely  pathetic  passage  recalls  our  Lord's  own 
words  when  His  end  drew  near :  "  Alone  .  .  .  yet 
.  .  .  not  alone "  (John  xvi.  32).  that  all  .  .  . 
might  hear.  This  implies  that  a  profound 
impression  was  made  in  Rome  by  Paul's  magnifi- 
cent self-defence,  which  was  at  the  same  time 
a  proclamation  of  the  message  of  salvation  in 
Jesus  Christ,  the  lion's  mouth.  Are  the  words 
literal  or  figurative }  Many  Christians  were  flung 
by  Nero  to  the  lions  of  the  amphitheatre.  But 
Paul  as  a  Roman  citizen  would  not  be  in  danger 


256  Westminster  New  Testament 

of  that  ignominious  death.     Perhaps    ''  the  lion  " 
was  Nero  himself. 

1 8.  will  deliver.  Death,  before  which  so  many 
shudder  as  the  greatest  of  all  evils,  is  welcomed 
by  the  apostle  as  the  deliverance  from  every  evil 
work,  kingdom  .  .  .  glory  ...  for  ever. 
Amen.  Just  the  same  sequence  of  ideas  is  found  in 
the  conclusion  of  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

19.  Prisca  and  Aquila.  Often  mentioned  as 
friends  of  the  apostle ;  now  settled  at  Ephesus. 
Prisca  (or  Priscilla)  is  usually  named  before  her 
husband,  and  for  this  there  was  probably  an  obvious 
reason.      Onesiphorus.    Seei.  16,  17. 

20.  21.  Trophimus.  The  Ephesian  who  was 
unwittingly  the  cause  of  Paul's  arrest  in  Jerusalem 
(Acts  XX.  4,  xxi.  29).  The  four  Roman  Christians 
who  send  Timothy  greetings  are  otherwise  un- 
known, except  that  Irenaeus  calls  LinuS  the 
Bishop  of  Rome.  Harnack  dates  his  episcopate 
64-78  A.D. 

22.  with  thy  spirit  .  .  .  with  you.  First  a 
special  greeting  for  Timothy  alone  ;  then  a  general 
one  to  all  who  are  with  him. 


Tit.  i.  1-4. 

GREETING. 

Paul,  a  servant  of  God,  and  an  apostle  of  Jesus   Christ, 
according  to   the   faith   of  God's  elect,  and  the  acknow- 

2  ledging  of  the  truth  which  is  after  godliness  ;  in  hope  of 
eternal  life,  which  God,  that  cannot  lie,  promised  before 

3  the  world  began  ;  but  hath  in  due  times  manifested  his 
word   through   preaching,    which   is   committed   unto   me 

4  according  to  the  commandment  of  God  our  Saviour  ;  to 
Titus,  mine  own  son  after  the  common  faith :  Grace, 
mercy,  and  peace,  from  God  the  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  our  Saviour. 

This  greeting  is  distinguished  from  those  of  all 
the  other  letters  by  its  wealth  of  dogmatic  state- 
ments. While  it  magnifies  faith,  knowledge,  and 
godliness,  it  looks  backward  and  forward  to  two 
eternities ;  it  bases  the  gospel  on  an  immemorial 
promise  made  by  the  God  of  truth  ;  it  rejoices  in 
the  time  of  fulfilment  and  in  the  Divine  message  to 
mankind. 

1.  according  to  the  faith  (R.V.).  This  render- 
ing is  very  vague.  If  we  read  "  with  a  view  to," 
we  at  once  obtain  a  definite  meaning.  Paul's 
apostleship  is  for  the  building  up  of  the  faith 
of  God's  people,  and  for  the  spreading  of  a  full 
knowledge  of  the  truth.  God's  elect  are  those 
w^hose  very  faith  is  the  sign  and  seal  of  His  purpose 
of  grace. 

17 


258  Westminster  New  Testament 

2.  before  times  eternal.  Or,  before  times 
age-long ;  from  time  immemorial.  "  Before  the 
world  was"  (A.V.)  imports  an  idea  more  definite 
than  the  original  contains.  The  language  merely 
suggests  the  dim  and  distant  past.  It  is  popular, 
not  philosophical.  ''  From  of  old "  and  ''  from 
everlasting  "  are  used  in  Scripture  as  synonymous 
(see  Ps.  xciii.  2  ;  Mic.  v.  2). 

3.  manifested  the  word  (R.V.).  To  Jewish- 
Christian  ears  this  could  scarcely  fail  to  suggest  not 
only  the  spoken  and  written  word,  but  the  living 
incarnate  Word.  So  Jerome  and  others  have 
rendered  here.  If  the  suggestion  were  accepted, 
there  would  of  course  be  a  link  between  the  Pastorals 
and  the  writings  of  John,  our  Saviour.  Here  the 
words  are  appUed  to  God  the  Father,  in  the  next 
verse  to  Christ  the  Son.  As  regards  the  singular 
vacillation  of  usage  see  p.  28. 

4.  a  common  faith.  Not  "the,"  as  in  A.V. 
The  faith  thus  designated  is  not  the  common  faith 
of  the  Church,  but  a  faith  which  is  common  to  the 
writer  and  Titus.  This  may  be  either  subjective 
or  objective. 

Tit.  i.  5-9. 
THE  APPOINTMENT  OF  ELDERS. 

5  For  this  cause  left  I  thee  in  Crete,  that  thou  shouldest  set 
in  order  the  things  that  are  wanting,  and  ordain  elders  in 

6  every  city,  as  I  had  appointed  thee  :    if  any  be  blameless, 
the   husband   of  one   wife,    having   faithful    children   not 

7  accused  of  riot  or  unruly.     For  a  bishop  must  be  blameless, 
as  the  steward  of  God ;  not  selfwilled,  not  soon  angry,  not 

8  given  to  wine,  no  striker,  not  given  to  filthy  lucre ;  but  a 
lover  of  hospitality,  a  lover  of  good  men,  sober,  just,  holy, 


Titus  i.  5-9  259 

9  temperate ;  holding  fast  the  faithful  word  as  he  hath  been 
taught,  that  he  may  be  able  by  sound  doctrine  both  to 
exhort  and  to  convince  the  gainsayers. 

The  qualifications  are  much  the  same  as  those 
enumerated  to  Timothy.  It  is  usually  maintained 
that  this  paragraph  proves  the  terms  "  elder  "  and 
"  bishop "  to  be  synonymous.  Hatch  declared  a 
generation  ago  that  this  matter  had  been  practically 
removed  from  the  list  of  disputed  questions.  But 
it  is  not  so  certain  that  he  was  right.  It  is  strange 
if  two  official  designations  were  given  to  the  same 
person.  "  Either  it  may  be  said  that  the  word 
*  bishop '  is  not  titular,  but  expresses  function, 
describing  the  whole  body  of  presbyters  generally 
as  '  overseers '  of  the  flock  of  God ;  or  that 
the  'overseers'  regarded  as  officers  are  repre- 
sented as  belonging  to  the  class  of  presbyters 
and  appointed  from  their  number,  which  does 
not  imply  the  identification  of  the  official  titles " 
(Vincent). 

5.  things  wanting.  That  is,  church  organisa- 
tion, in  every  city  :  of  Crete.  Homer  calls  this 
the  island  of  a  hundred  cities.  It  was  therefore 
a  great  task  that  was  set  for  Titus.  He  had  need 
to  be  a  splendid  organiser,  ordain  is  too  specific  ; 
"appoint"  is  the  meaning. 

6.  faithful  children.  In  the  old  sense  of 
"faith-full/'  "believing."  This  is  an  addition  to 
the  qualifications  given  in  1  Tim.  iii.  riot.  The 
adverb  "riotously"  is  found  in  the  story  of  the 
Prodigal  Son  (Luke  xv.  13). 

7.  the  bishop.  On  the  whole  it  seems  best  to 
regard  this  term  as  still  unofficial.  We  might  read, 
"  For  he  who  has  the  oversight  of  others  must  be 


26o  Westminster  New  Testament 

blameless."  greedy  of  filthy  lucre.  Or,  "given 
to  unfair  gain."  Polybius  writes  that  "greed  and 
avarice  are  so  native  to  the  soil  of  Crete,  that  they 
are  the  only  people  among  whom  no  stigma  attaches 
to  any  sort  of  gain  whatever."  Titus'  mission  to 
appoint  elders  in  every  city  seems  harder  than  ever. 
A  tremendous  revival  is  needed  first. 

9.  according  to  the  teaching.  Here  the  word 
for  teaching  is  Didache.  One  of  the  most  im- 
portant documents  of  the  early  Church  is  The 
Didache  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  written  about  100- 
110  A.D.,  the  manuscript  of  which  was  only  recently 
discovered.  In  the  sub-apostolic  age  there  were 
evidently  many  attempts  to  fix  a  standard  of  doctrine 
and  practice.  able  tO  exhort.  Of  whom  is  this 
spoken  ?  It  is  evident  that  not  every  Cretan  elder 
would  be  able  to  exhort  assemblies  and  convict 
gainsayers.  But  how  easy  it  is  to  deduce  from 
this  paragraph  the  idea  that  it  is  the  elder  as 
bishop  who  is  alone  sufficient  for  these  things  !  And 
how  natural  to  give  the  capable  man  power,  to 
magnify  his  office,  to  honour  him  as  the  bulwark 
of  Christianity  !  That  is  the  way  to  Ignatius,  the 
ardent  advocate  of  episcopacy,  and  to  Catholicism. 


Tit.  i.  10-16. 
THE  FALSE  TEACHERS. 

10  For  there  are  many  unruly  and  vain  talkers  and  deceivers, 

1 1  specially  they  of  the  circumcision  :    whose   mouths  must 
be  stopped,  who  subvert  whole  houses,  teaching  things 

12  which   they  ought  not,  for  filthy  lucre's  sake.     One   of 
themselves,   even    a    prophet    of   their   own,   said,    The 

13  Cretians  are  alway  liars,  evil  beasts,  slow  bellies.     This 


Titus  i.  10-16  261 

witness  is  true.     Wherefore   rebuke  them  sharply,    that 

14  they  may  be  sound  in  the  faith ;  not  giving  heed  to 
Jewish  fables,  and  commandments  of  men,  that  turn  from 

1 5  the  truth.  Unto  the  pure  all  things  are  pure  :  but  unto 
them  that  are  defiled  and  unbelieving  is   nothing  pure  ; 

16  but  even  their  mind  and  conscience  is  defiled.  They 
profess  that  they  know  God  ;  but  in  works  they  deny  him, 
being  abominable,  and  disobedient,  and  unto  every  good 
work  reprobate. 

The  heretics  with  whom  Titus  has  to  contend 
are  mostly  Jewish  Christians.  They  practise 
circumcision^  they  love  Jewish  fables^  they  dis- 
tinguish between  clean  and  unclean  meats.  Yet 
it  is  assumed  that  they  are  Cretans^  with  the 
notorious  characteristics  of  the  race.  They  are 
Cretanised  Jews !  They  pervert  whole  families, 
and  extract  money  from  their  dupes.  Such  men 
are  to  be  dealt  with  sharply  and  summarily.  Their 
mouths  must  be  shut,  for  their  lives  deny  the 
God  their  lips  confess. 

10.  unruly  men.  More  accurately,  '^^insub- 
ordinate." The  Church  is  regarded  as  a  kind  of 
army  of  salvation,  in  which  there  are  superior 
officers  to  whom  obedience  is  due.  Heretics  are 
to  be  treated  as  insubordinate.  Their  mouths 
must  be  stopped  to  prevent  their  doing  further 
mischief — making  more  rebels  like  themselves. 
Still  there  is  no  thought  of  persecution.  As  yet 
the  Church's  only  weapon  of  repression  is  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit.  If  the  preacher  cannot  touch 
the  heart  and  reach  the  conscience,  he  has  no 
short  and  easy  method  to  fall  back  upon,  vain 
talkers.    One  word  in  the  Greek — "chatterers." 

11.  they  ought  not.  Men  sometimes  teach 
error  with  the  conviction  that  they  have  a  message 


262  Westminster  New  Testament 

from  God  which  they  ought  to  deHver.  However 
far  they  have  gone  astray,  they  are  perfectly 
honest  and  sincere.  Apparently,  however,  Titus 
has  not  to  deal  with  this  nobler  kind  of  aberration. 
He  is  to  assume  that  all  heresy  is  rooted  in  some 
moral  baseness. 

12.  a  prophet.  The  poet  Epimenides  was  the 
author  of  the  hexameter  here  quoted.  He  lived 
in  Crete  about  600  B.C.  Kohler  says  :  "The  author 
calls  him  a  prophet  because  he  is  such  in  the 
opinion  of  his  own  admirers,  not  because  he 
personally  believes  him  to  be  one."  As  if  he 
merely  meant  to  say  "a  so-called  prophet  of 
theirs."  But  this  is  not  enough.  The  writer  has 
the  mysterious  feeling  that  this  stern  censor 
of  morals  was  in  some  sense  a  prophet  speaking 
for  God,  who,  as  Paul  said  at  Lystra,  "left 
not  Himself  without  witness"  (Acts  xiv.  17). 
Cretians  .  .  .  liars.  ^^To  talk  like  a  Cretan" 
was  a  popular  saying  that  was  always  received 
with  amusement  or  contempt.  Every  one  knew 
what  it  meant. 

13.  This  testimony  is  true.  Namely,  the  testi- 
mony that  Cretans  are  always  liars.  No  politician 
who  cared  for  his  reputation  would  dare  to  quote 
and  confirm  such  an  utterance.  A  much  milder 
censure  from  his  lips  or  pen  would  be  keenly 
resented  and  never  forgiven.  But  it  is  by  just 
such  faithful  dealing  that  the  prophet  gains  his 
power.  If  he  is  a  dumb  dog  that  cannot  bark, 
he  has  mistaken  his  calling.  If  only  he  speaks 
the  truth  in  love,  every  allowance  is  made  for 
his  hyperboles. 

14.  commandments  of  men.  These  were 
condemned    by   our    Lord    (Matt.   xv.    9).     The 


Titus  ii.  1-15  263 

great  moral  laws  of  God  are  enough ;  they  stand 
in  no  need  of  vexatious  human  additions. 

15.  to  the  pure  all  things  are  pure.  The 
ascetics  tried  to  make  themselves  inwardly  clean 
by  outward  purity.  They  abjured  pleasant  foods, 
social  joys,  love,  and  such  like.  They  felt  that 
they  ought  to  loathe  all  things  agreeable  to  the 
flesh  as  being  inimical  to  the  soul.  They  began 
at  the  wrong  end.  Christianity  starts  by  making 
the  heart  pure,  the  conscience  clean ;  it  restores 
the  spirit  to  conscious  harmony  with  God  ;  then 
all  the  natural  joys  of  life  become  pure  and  holy. 

16.  They  profess  .  .  .  they  deny.  Is  the 
testimony  of  their  lips  or  their  lives  to  be 
accepted  ?  They  hide  their  guilty  secret  from 
men,  but  not  from  God.  Their  words  confess 
Him,  their  works  deny  Him.  Their  faith  is 
sound,  but  their  characters  will  not  bear  examina- 
tion. Dante  gives  them  a  painted  face  and  a 
cloak  of  lead — the  intolerable  burden  of  a  false 
life. 


Tit.  ii.  1-15. 
RELATIVE  DUTIES. 

But  speak  thou  the  things  which  become  sound  doctrine  : 

2  that  the  aged  men  be  sober,  grave,  temperate,  sound  in 

3  faith,  in  charity,  in  patience.  The  aged  women  likewise, 
that  they  be  in  behaviour  as  becometh  holiness,  not  false 
accusers,  not  given  to  much  wine,  teachers  of  good  things ; 

4  that  they  may  teach  the  young  women  to  be  sober,  to  love 

5  their  husbands,  to  love  their  children,  to  be  discreet, 
chaste,  keepers  at  home,  good,  obedient  to  their  own 
husbands,    that   the   word    of    God   be  not   blasphemed. 

6  Young     men     likewise     exhort     to     be     sober    minded. 


264  Westminster  New  Testament 

7  In  all  things  shewing  thyself  a  pattern  of  good  works : 
in    doctrine    showing    uncorruptness,    gravity,    sincerity, 

8  sound  speech,  that  cannot  be  condemned  ;  that  he  that 
is  of  the  contrary  part  may  be  ashamed,  having  no  evil 

9  thing  to  say  of  you.  Exhort  servants  to  be  obedient  unto 
their  own  masters,  and  to  please  them  well  in  all  things ; 

10  not  answering  again  ;  not  purloining,  but  shewing  all 
good  fidelity  ;  that  they  may  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God 

11  our  Saviour  in  all   things.     For   the  grace   of  God  that 

12  bringeth  salvation  hath  appeared  to  all  men,  teaching 
us  that,  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  we 
should    live    soberly,    righteously,    and    godly,    in    this 

13  present  world  ;  looking  for  that  blessed  hope,  and  the 
glorious   appearing    of   the   great   God   and   our   Saviour 

14  Jesus  Christ;  who  gave  himself  for  us,  that  he  might 
redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,   and  purify  unto  himself  a 

15  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works.  These  things 
speak,  and  exhort,  and  rebuke  with  all  authority.  Let 
no  man  despise  thee. 

Titus  is  to  exhort  aged  and  young  men  and 
women  to  fulfil  their  Christian  duties^  in  all 
things  showing  a  good  example.  He  is  to  exhort 
slaves  to  be  obedient  and  faithful.  For  the  grace 
of  God  has  come  with  a  message  for  all  men, 
offering  a  finished  salvation,  presenting  a  perfect 
ideal,  fostering  a  blessed  hope. 

2.  sober,  grave.  Wordsworth  seemed  to  find 
this  ideal  realised  in  the  kind  of  speech — 

'*  Such  as  grave  livers  do  in  Scotland  use. 
Religious  men,  who  give  to  God  and  Man  their  dues." 

sound  in  faith.  Faith  is  here  probably  sub- 
jective, not  objective — the  faith  which  receives, 
not  the  faith  which  is  accepted.  For  it  is  associated 
with  the  graces  of  love  and  patience. 


Titus  ii.    1-15  265 

3.  reverent  in  demeanour.  The  word  trans- 
lated "^reverent"  (R.V.)  is  very  expressive.  It 
implies  that  the  aged  matron  is  to  be  a  priestess 
in  the  sanctuary  of  the  Home,  having  dedicated 
herself  to  the  service  of  a  God  who  really  hallows 
the  Hearth,  as  the  old  Penates  (household  gods) 
never  could,  given  to  much  wine.  The  Greek 
verb  is  stronger — "enslaved."  It  is  notoriously 
more  difficult  to  save  a  female  than  a  male 
drunkard,  teachers-of-the-good.  One  word  in 
Greek.  "  The  good  "  means  the  morally  beautiful. 
Matrons  who  have  a  fine  morale  of  their  own 
cannot  fail  to  make  it  attractive  to  others. 

5.  in  subjection.  See  Col.  iii.  18;  Eph.  v.  22. 
keepers  at  home.  The  better  reading  is 
"workers  at  home."  Home  is  regarded  as 
woman's  normal  sphere,  in  which  as  a  rule  she 
can  best  glorify  God.  Christianity  comes  to 
emancipate  women  in  many  ways,  but  it  begins 
by  making  the  old  perennial  obligations  of  wife- 
hood and  motherhood  more  sacred  than  ever. 

6,  7.  an  ensample.  It  is  good  to  exhort  young 
men,  but  far  better  to  touch  them  by  the  influence  of 
a  pure  and  holy  life.  A  single  concrete  instance  is 
more  convincing  to  them  than  a  whole  array  of 
abstract  principles.  They  like  to  see  ideal  virtue 
clothed  in  flesh  and  blood.  They  may  resist  all  the 
arguments  of  logic  and  the  appeals  of  rhetoric,  but 
they  yield  to  the  fascination  of  a  noble  personality. 

8.  may  be  ashamed.  Christian  lives  are  the 
best  "  evidences  of  Christianity."  High  characters 
and  holy  lives  have  to  be  explained.  Pure  goodness 
has  shamed  many  a  caviller  first  into  a  silent  respect 
for  religion,  and  then  into  an  enthusiastic  profession 
of  faith. 


266  Westminster  New  Testament 

10.  adorn  the  doctrine.  One  of  the  highest 

conceptions  in  the  Bible.  No  archangel  can  do 
morCj  and  no  slave  need  do  less^  than  fulfil  it. 
By  the  life  he  leads  and  the  spirit  he  breathes  the 
meanest  toiler  may  shed  lustre  on  the  doctrine  of 
God  his  Saviour,  may  win  eclat  for  the  religion 
which  has  brought  heavenly  joy  into  his  dark  and 
cheerless  lot.  "  God  gets  His  highest  praise  from 
the  lips  of  little  children.  His  robes  of  glory  from 
the  faithfulness,  honesty,  and  simplicity  of  slaves  " 
(Chrysostom). 

11.  salvation  to  all  men  (R.V.).  God  loves 
all  men,  Christ  has  atoned  for  all  men,  salvation 
is  offered  to,  and  should  be  pressed  upon,  all  men 
(cf.  1  Tim.  ii.  4). 

12.  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly.  We  are 
to  live  in  these  three  ways — for  ourselves,  for  others, 
and  for  God.  The  three  words  cover  the  whole 
range  of  Christian  duties. 

13.  the  blessed  hope.  "Hope"  means  here 
the  thing  hoped  for,  the  hope  laid  up  in 
the  heavens — the  Second  Coming  of  Christ.  So 
in  common  language  we  talk  of  looking  and 
waiting  for  our  hope — say  a  ship  to  appear  in 
the  offing  bringing  home  to  us  a  beloved  friend. 
our  great  God  and  Saviour.  Is  there 
one  subject  here,  or  two  ?  God  and  Christ,  or 
Christ  who  is  God.^  Grammatically  either  way 
is  correct.  The  A.V.  chooses  the  one  reading, 
the  R.V.  the  other.  There  are  many  passages  in 
the  O.T.  which  predict  the  personal  appearing  of 
the  hitherto  invisible  God,  but  this  is  not  a  N.T. 
conception.  Rather,  "  the  Son  of  man  shall  come 
in  the  glory  of  His  Father  "  (xMatt.  xvi.  27).  The 
revised  reading  is  therefore  in  harmony  with  the 


Titus  iii.  i-i  i  267 

faith  of  the  early  Church.     And  how  it  emphasises 
the  divinity  of  Christ — our  great  God  ! 

14.  redeem  .  .  .  purify.  Two  aspects  of  our 
Lord's  saving  work.  He  came  to  a  race  bound 
with  the  fetters,  and  stained  with  the  defilement, 
of  sin.  He  liberates  and  purifies  them — makes 
them  holy  freemen — and  then  keeps  them  for  ever 
as  His  special  treasure,  His  priceless  possession, 
zealous  of  g"00d  WOrks.  His  "treasure-people" 
have  a  joyful  sense  of  being  called  to  labours  of  love. 
Idleness  would  be  misery  to  them.  And  they  devote 
themselves  to  "  good  works  "  which  are  really  good. 
They  are  all  zealots  (literally,  "boiling")  for  social 
beneficence,  philanthropic  service.  Their  enthusi- 
asm for  Christ  means  enthusiasm  for  humanity. 

15.  authority.  This  is  the  authority  of 
personality,  not  of  office ;  the  moral  influence  of 
the  man  who  feels  that  the  truth  which  has 
gripped  him  is  a  thousand  times  greater  than 
himself.  He  is  endued  with  power  from  on  high. 
He  is  the  opposite  of  the  man  who  is  "  dressed 
in  a  little  brief  authority." 


Tit.  iii.  i-ii. 

THE  PHILANTHROPY  OF  GOD. 

Put   them   in   mind   to   be   subject   to   principalities   and 
powers,  to  obey  magistrates,  to  be  ready  to  every  good 

2  work,  to  speak  evil  of  no  man,  to  be  no  brawlers,  but 

3  gentle,  shewing  all  meekness  unto  all  men.  For  we  our- 
selves also  were  sometimes  foolish,  disobedient,  deceived, 
serving  divers  lusts  and  pleasures,   living  in  malice  and 

4  envy,  hateful,  and  hating  one  another.  But  after  that  the 
kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  toward  man  ap- 


268  Westminster  New  Testament 

5  peared,  not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done, 
but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing 

6  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  which 
he   shed    on     us    abundantly   through  Jesus    Christ    our 

7  Saviour ;  that  being  justified  by  his  grace,  we  should  be 

8  made  heirs  according  to  the  hope  of  eternal  life.  This  is 
a  faithful  saying,  and  these  things  I  will  that  thou  affirm 
constantly,  that  they  which  have  believed  in  God  might 
be   careful   to   maintain   good   works.     These   things   are 

9  good  and  profitable  unto  men.  But  avoid  foolish  questions, 
and  genealogies,  and  contentions,  and  strivings  about  the 

10  law ;  for  they  are  unprofitable  and  vain.     A  man  that  is 
an  heretick  after  the  first  and  second  admonition  reject  ; 

11  knowing  that  he  that  is  such  is  subverted,  and  sinneth, 
being  condemned  of  himself. 

Christians  are  to  be  exhorted  to  be  good,  law- 
abiding  citizens,,  ready  to  fulfil  every  obligation  to 
the  Government  of  the  country.  If  they  are 
maligned  for  their  faith,  they  are  to  be  gentle 
and  meek.  Let  them  humble  themselves  by 
keeping  green  the  memory  of  their  own  past 
heathen  life,  and  by  ever  fresh  thoughts  of  the 
Divine  mercy  which  alone  has  made  them  heirs 
of  life  eternal.  Titus  is  instructed  to  give  his 
mind  to  things  practical  and  edifying,  to  avoid 
foolish  questions,  and  to  deal  faithfully  with 
heretics. 

1.  subject  to  rulers.  Christians  are  to  be 
good  subjects,  ready  to  do  their  duty  to  the  State, 
giving  the  authorities  no  just  cause  of  complaint 
(cf.  Rom.  xiii.  1). 

2.  gentle.  "Sweetly  reasonable."  See  Phil, 
iv.  5.  meekness.  See  Matt.  xi.  29.  The  words 
occur  together  in  2  Cor.  x.  1. 

3.  we  .  .  .  aforetime.     The  author  distinctly 


Titus  iii.  i-ii  269 

includes  himself  among  those  who  formerly  led  a 
life  of  heathenish  vice.  He  remembers  it  with 
grief  and  shame ;  it  moves  him  now  to  meekness 
and  gentleness.  But  how  difficult  it  is  to  think 
of  Paul;,  the  morally  blameless  Pharisee^  looking 
back  upon  a  time  when  he  was  "  the  slave  of  divers 
lusts  and  pleasures  "  !  It  is  significant  that  neither 
of  the  words  "  divers  "  and  "  pleasures  "  ever  occurs 
before  the  Pastorals. 

4.  love  toward  man.  Literally, "  philanthropy." 
The  writer  teaches,  not  that,  the  Atonement 
purchased  God's  benevolence,  but  that  God's  love 
toward  the  human  family  appeared  in  the  Atone- 
ment. All  human  philanthropy  is  put  in  the 
shade  by  the  splendid  philanthropy  of  God  toward 
a  world  of  sinners. 

5.  saved  through  the  font,  or  laver  (Vul- 
gate, lavacrumy  This  is  the  true  reading.  "  The 
font  of  regeneration"  is  a  phrase  which  has  done 
much  harm.  It  stands  parallel  to  "  the  renewing 
of  the  Holy  Ghost" — a  material  and  external 
means  of  salvation  beside  an  inward  and  spiritual. 
If  the  one  was  really  meant  to  be  symbolical  and 
the  other  literal,  the  ambiguity  is  scarcely  less 
than  tragic.  For  how  great  is  the  temptation  to 
emphasise  what  seems  primary  at  the  expense  of 
what  is  secondary.  Regeneration  by  the  font  is 
so  easy,  regeneration  by  spiritual  renewal  so 
difficult.  Here  is  the  birthplace  of  Catholicism, 
Roman  and  Anglican. 

8.  Faithful  is  the  saying.  Probably  here  as 
elsewhere  the  phrase  is  not  meant  to  clench  what 
has  just  been  said,  but  to  prepare  the  mind  for  what 
is  coming.  Here  it  is  the  connection  between 
faith  in  God  and  the  maintenance  of  good  works 


270  Westminster  New  Testament 

that  is  emphasised.  Instead  of  "  to  maintain  good 
works "  we  might  read  '^  to  be  foremost  in,  to 
excel  in,  good  works."  To  all  believers  the  testing 
question  is,  "What  do  ye  more  than  others?" 
Good  works  are  not  the  ground  of  salvation,  but 
a  real  salvation  never  stops  short  of  them. 

9.  genealogies.  Many  Jewish  Christians  seem 
to  have  had  an  insane  passion  for  pedigrees  of 
men,  which  the  Gnostic  Christians  changed  into 
an  equally  fatuous  fondness  for  the  genealogies  of 
angels. 

10,  11.  heretical.  The  word  has  two  meanings 
— schismatic  and  heterodox.  The  heretic  either 
rends  the  seamless  garment  of  Christ,  or  else 
denies  some  part  of  the  Church's  system  of  sound 
doctrine.  For  a  while  the  first  meaning  pre- 
dominated (1  Cor.  xi.  19;  Gal.  v.  20),  then  tlie 
other  prevailed,  and  "  the  Roman  Church  has 
written  the  history  of  the  word  in  blood " 
(Kohler). 

Tit.  iii.  12-15. 
PERSONAL  DIRECTIONS. 

12  When  I  shall  send  Artemas  unto  thee,  or  Tychicus,  be 
diligent    to    come   unto   me    to    Nicopolis  :    for   I  have 

13  determined  there  to  winter.  Bring  Zenas  the  lawyer  and 
Apollos  on  their  journey  diligently,  that  nothing  be  want- 

14  ing  unto  them.     And  let  ours  also  learn  to  maintain  good 

15  works  for  necessary  uses,  that  they  be  not  unfruitful.  All 
that  are  with  m€  salute  thee.  Greet  them  that  love  us  in 
the  faith.     Grace  be  with  you  all.     Amen. 

That  these  words  are  Pauline  in  the  strict  sense 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt.  The  Nicopolis  (city 
of    victory)   referred   to   is   probably   the   one   in 


Titus  iii.  12-15  271 

Epirus,  built  to  commemorate  the  decisive  battle 
of  Actiiim ;  not  the  city  of  that  name  either  in 
Cilicia  or  in  Thrace.  This  is  the  only  reference 
to  Paul's  missionary  activity  in  that  quarter,  and 
the  date  of  his  wintering  there  cannot  be  fixed. 

12,  13.  Artemas  and  Zenas  are  mentioned 
only  here.  Zenas  was  a  lawyer  in  the  sense  that 
he  had  once  been  a  teacher  of  the  Jewish  Law. 
His  eminence  as  a  Christian  is  indicated  by  the  fact 
that  his  name  is  counted  worthy  to  be  coupled  with 
that  of  Apollos  the  famous  apostle.  The  two  men 
may  have  been  assisting  Titus  in  the  evangelisation 
of  Crete.  How  much  early  Church  history  has 
passed  into  oblivion!  The  apocryphal  "Acts  of 
Titus  "  do  not  help  us  in  the  least. 

14.  for  necessary  uses.  For  the  maintenance 
of  Christian  ordinances. 


INDEX 


Abbott's  Onesimus,  lo. 

Abounding,  53,  168,  198. 

Access,  125,  131. 

Adam  and  Eve,  214. 

Adoption,  107. 

Adorning  the  doctrine,  266. 

Aions,  8,  42,  44,  207,  211. 

Afflictions  of  Christ,  46. 

Alienated,  45,  142. 

Altruism,  114, 

Angel- worship,  42,59,61,116. 

Anger,  145. 

Apostle,  32,  129,  139. 

Apphia,  88. 

Archippus,  85,  88. 

Aristarchus,  83. 

Armour  of  God,  160,  161. 

Arnold,  Matthew,  38,  79,  171. 

Artemas,  271. 

Ascension,  138. 

Asceticism,  26,  64,  220,  263. 

Augustus,  17. 

Authority,  267. 

Baptism,  iii,  155,  269. 

Baxter,  Richard,  80. 

Beloved,  88,  108,  193. 

Bengel,  21,  66. 

Biology,  141. 

Bishops,    25,    165,    215,    216, 

259. 
Blasphemy,  69,  229. 
Bodily  exercise,  222. 
18 


Body,  human,  64,  192. 

Body   of  Christ,  43,  45,  47, 

117,  141,  156. 
Boldness,  94,  131,  162. 
Bond  of  ordinances,  58. 
Bowels  of  mercy,  72. 
Branded  in  conscience,  220. 
Bride  of  Christ,  155. 
Brotherhood,  92,  98. 
Browning,  56,  172,  189. 
Bunyan,  206. 

Cadmus,  6. 
Cgesarea,  5,  170. 
Caesars,  2,  233. 
Caesar's  household,  199. 
Captive,  248,  249. 
Catholicism,  260,  269. 
Chief  of  sinners,  207. 
Children,  76,  140,  158. 
Children  of  God,  181. 
Children  of  light,  146,  150. 
Christology,  8,  22,  40,  176. 
Chrysostom,  266. 
Church,  16,  80,  116,  117,  131. 
Churchmanship,  223. 
Circular  letter,  15,  103. 
Circumcision,  57,  122,  187. 
Citizenship,  13,  174,  192. 
Clement  of  Rome,  29,  30,  189. 
Cloke,  255. 
Colossians,  5. 
Comfort,  50. 


274 


Index 


Coming,  second,  67,  167,  233. 
Commandment  with  promise, 

157. 
Commandments  of  man,  262. 
Complete,  57. 
Concision,  187. 
Contentment,  195,  196. 
Corrupt  speech,  145. 
Course  of  the  world,  1 19. 
Covetousness,  68. 
Creation  in  Christ,  42,  121. 
Creeds,    primitive,    218,    233, 

244. 
Cretans,  260,  262. 
Cross,  44,  58,  125,  179,  191. 
Crown,  193,  243. 

Dante,  73,  139,  263. 
Day  of  Jesus  Christ,  167. 
Dead  in  sin,  58,  118. 
Death  abolished,  239. 
Death  of  Paul,  29. 
Defence,  168. 
Demas,  84,  254. 
Denney,  Prof.,  42. 
Departure,  173,  253. 
Deposit,  234,  240,  242. 
Didache,  27,  260. 
Disobedience,  69. 
Divine  discontent,  37. 
Dogs,  187. 
Door,  open,  79. 
Drunkenness,  152. 

Earnest,  112. 
Eastern  speculation,  7. 
Ecce  Homo,  'J2. 
Eclectics,  7. 

Elders,  225,  227,  258,  260. 
Elect,  72,  244,  257. 
Election,  104,  107. 
Empire,  influence  on  Paul,  16, 
no. 


Emptied  Himself,  178. 
Empty  words,  149. 
Enemies  of  the  Cross,  191. 
Enlightenment,  112,  131. 
Envy,  171. 

Epaphras,  6,  35,  %t„  102. 
Epaphroditus,  185. 
Ephesians,  13,  103. 
Epimenides,  262. 
Episcopacy,  25,  260. 
Euodia  and  Syntyche,  193. 
Evil  day,  161. 
Exaltation  of  Christ,  179. 
Example,  265. 

Fables,  28,  203,  222. 

Faction,  177. 

Faith,  27,  90,  175,  219,  223, 

232. 
Faithful,  33,  103. 
Faithful     sayings,     25,     207, 

269. 
Family,  133, 
Farrar's  Darkness  and  Dawn, 

10. 
Fear  and  trembling,  158,  180. 
Fear  of  Christ,  153. 
Fellowship,  91,  167,  197. 
Fellow-soldiers,  88. 
Fiery  darts,  162. 
Fight,  good,  232. 
Firstborn,  41,  43. 
Flesh  and  blood,  161. 
Flesh,  confidence  in,  188. 
Font,  269. 
Forbearance,  194. 
Forefathers,  237. 
Forgiveness,  39,  72,  109,  145, 

146. 
Form  of  God,  178. 
Form  of  a  servant,  178. 
Forms  of  Church  service,  25. 
Foundation,  126,  246. 


Index 


275 


Fulfilling  the  word  of  God,  47. 
Fulness,  16,  44,  54,  56,  1 17, 
140. 

Gains,  173,  188,  230. 

Gangrene,  246. 

Genealogies,  203,  270. 

Gentiles,  142. 

Gibbon,  62. 

Gifts,  24,  138,  223. 

Giving  and  receiving,  196, 197. 

Glory,  48,  199. 

Gnosticism,  7,  8,  9,  42,  211, 

235. 
Godet,  13. 
Godhead,  56. 
Godliness,  210,  218. 
Good  works,  24,  121,  267. 
Grace,  35,  108,  120,  206. 
Gravity,  210,  264. 
Greetings,        Eastern        and 

Western,  33. 

Hands,  laying  on  of,  25,  223, 

238. 
Hardening  of  the  heart,  142. 
Hardship,  239. 
Harnack,  17,  29,  235. 
Hazarding,  185. 
Headship   of  Christ,  43,    57, 

62,  116,  117. 
Healthy-mindedness,  26,  220. 
Heavenly  places,  16,  106,  161. 
Hellenism,  8,  33,  195. 
Heretical,  270. 
Heterodoxy,  203,  230. 
Hidden  life,  66. 
Hierapolis,  6,  85. 
Holiness,  45,  107. 
Holy   Spirit,    iii,    112,    133, 

146,  152. 
Honour  and  dishonour,  247, 
Hope,  34,  48,  115,  201,  266. 


Horace,  173. 
Hospitality,  loi. 
House  of  God,  218. 
Humiliation  of  Christ,  22,  178. 
Humility,  voluntary,  61. 
Husbands  and  wives,  75,  154. 
Hymns,  74>  ^S^- 
Hypocrisy,  219,  263. 

Ignatius,  216,  260. 

Ignorance,  142. 

Image  of  God,  41,  70. 

Imitation  of  Christians,  191. 

Imitation  of  God,  147. 

In  Christ,   33,   76,   103,   163, 

170. 
Inheritance,  no,  115. 
Initiated,  70,   197. 
Isaac  Walton,  106. 

Jannes  and  Jambres,  249. 

Jesus  Justus,  83. 

Jowett,  21. 

Joy,  21,  46,  91. 

Jiilicher,  9. 

Justification  of  faith,  3,  189. 

Keepers  at  home,  265. 
King  eternal,  207. 
Kingdom  of  Christ,  39,  149. 
Knowledge,   37,   51,  52,   134, 
188,  235. 

Labour,  49,  145,  243. 
Laodicea,  14,  50,  84,  85,  103. 
Larger  hope,  44. 
Law,  58,  59,  124,  204. 
Learning  Christ,  141,  143. 
Less  than  the  least,  130. 
Libation,  181. 
Liberty,  3,  59,  60,  63. 
Life  of  God,  142. 
Lightfoot,  13,  20,  35,95,  106, 


276 


Index 


Likeness  of  men,  178. 
Lodging,  loi. 
Loss  for  Christ,  188. 
Love,  12,  51,  73,94,132,  134, 

148,  155,  168,  204. 
Lowliness,  137,  177. 
Luke,  30,  84. 
Luther,  63,  89,  128. 
Lycus  valley,  6,  7. 
Lying,  70,  I45»  262. 

Maeander,  6. 

Malefactor,  243. 

Man  of  God,  232. 

Man,  old  and  new,  70. 

Marcion,  14. 

Margaret  Wilson,  47. 

Mark,  83. 

Marriage,  156. 

Martyr,  233. 

Mediators,  57,  211. 

Men-pleasers,  159. 

Metaphors,  mixed,  53. 

Milton,  42,  55,  159. 

Mind  of  Christ  Jesus,  175. 

Minister,  good,  221. 

Mommsen,  19,  171. 

Money,  18,  196,  198. 

Monod,  47. 

Monogram,    Paul's,    24,    33, 

102. 
Music,  74. 
Mystery,  47,  48,  Si,  79,  I09, 

156,  218. 
Mystics,  8,  133. 
Myths,  222. 

Name  above  every  name,  176, 

179. 
Nero,  30,  199,  255. 
NicopoHs,  270. 
Nymphas,  85. 


Obedience,  157,  158. 
Old  age,  95. 
Oneness  in  Christ,  70. 
Onesimus,  11,  82,  95. 
Onesiphorus,  241. 
One  thing  I  do,  189. 
Oppositions  of  science,  235. 
Optimism,  no,  189. 
Ordinances,  63. 
Ordination,  228,  238. 
Orthodoxy,  23,  203,  230. 

Palace,  170. 
Partition  wall,  124. 
Pastoral  Epistles,  23. 
Pastoral  joy,  177. 
Pastor's  Charge,  203. 
Pastors  and  teachers,  139. 
Patience,  38. 

Peace,  33,  121,  124,  125,  137. 
Peace  of  God,  73,  194. 
Perfect,  189,  191. 
Perfecting,  139,  167. 
Perhaps,  98. 
Persuasiveness,  52. 
Philanthropy,  269, 
Philemon,  9,  10,  88,  90. 
Philippi,  17. 
Philippians,  17,  165. 
Philo,  42. 

Philosophy,  52,  55. 
Piety,  24,  210,  222. 
Plato,  239. 

Political  problems,  12,  76, 158. 
Potentate,  233. 
Praetorian  Guard,  3,  171. 
Prayer,  perseverance  in,  78. 
Prayers  for  all  men,  209,  210. 
Prayers     of    Paul,     34,     114, 

168. 
Preaching  Christ,  169,  171. 
Predestination,  107. 
Pre-eminence,  44,  172. 


Index 


277 


Prince  of  power  of  air,  119. 
Principalities,  56,  116. 
Prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ,  87, 

128,  137. 
Prize,  178. 

Progress  of  the  gospel,  170. 
Prophecies  on  Timothy,  208. 
Prophets,  25,  126,  139,  262. 
Providence,  98. 
Purity,  263. 
Putting   off   and    putting   on, 

143. 

Quickening,  58,  125. 

Raised  with  Christ,  57,  65. 
Ramsay,  Sir  W.,  29,  30,  80, 

158,  171. 
Ransom,  211. 
Reading,  25,  223. 
Reasonableness,    sweet,    194, 

268. 
Reconciliation,  41,  44,  125. 
Redemption,  108,  112,  267. 
Regeneration,  269. 
Rejoicing,  172,  186,  194. 
Reproving  sin,  149. 
Resurrection,  115,  189,  246. 
Revelation,  129. 
Reverent,  265. 
Riches,    73,    130,    133,    199, 

234- 
Righteousness,  189,  232,  253. 
Rome,  I. 
Rudiments,  55. 
Rulers,  210,  268. 
Running  and  labouring,  181. 
Rutherford,  87,  128. 

Sacrifice,  148,  198. 

Saints,  32,  103,  148. 

Salt,  80. 

Salvation,  172,  180,  215,  266. 


Saviour,  28,  154,  258,  266. 

Scripture,  251. 

Scythians,  71. 

Sealed,  in. 

Shadow  and  substance,  61. 

Shamefastness,  213. 

Shipwreck  of  faith,  208. 

Sincerity,  164. 

Slaves,     76,     96,    158,     159, 

228. 
Sobriety,  213,  264. 
Social  problems,  12,  76,  158. 
Soldier,  good,  243. 
Sorrow  upon  sorrow,  184. 
Sound  doctrine,  24,  202,  205, 

264. 
Sound  mind,  238. 
Spain,  29,  30. 
Spoiling,  54. 
Steadfastness,  53. 
Stealing,  145. 
Stewardship,  47. 
Stoicism,  28,  38,  196. 
Strabo,  6. 
Strait,  173. 

Strife  about  words,  246. 
Subjection  of  women,  75,  154, 

213. 
Subjection  to  rulers,  268. 
Suffering,  fellowship  in,  189. 
Summing  up  all  things,  no. 

Teaching,  24,  205,  260. 
Tennyson,  194. 
Thanksgiving,  74,  78,  89,  149, 

153- 
Theosophy,  7>  4i' 
Thessalonica,  198. 
Thinking,   195. 
Time  redeemed,  80,  152. 
Times  eternal,  258. 
Timothy,  32,  183,  250. 
Toleration,  170. 


278 


Index 


Truth,  III,  140,  161. 
Tychicus,  82,  163. 

Unity,  137,  140,  174,  177,  192. 
Universe,  no. 
Unruly  men,  261. 

Van  Manen,  22. 

Walk,  38,  53,  137,  151. 
Water-drinking,  228. 
Weeping,  191,  238. 
Widows,  224,  225. 
Will  of  God,  32,  108,  210. 
Will-worship,  64. 
Wine,  228,  265. 


Wisdom,  37,  52,  114,  131. 
Witness,  233. 
Wives,  75,  216. 
Woman's  sphere,  212,  214. 
Word  of  Christ,  73. 
Wordsworth,  264. 
Workmanship  of  God,  117. 
World,  35,  63,  119. 
Wrath,  69,  119. 

Xenophon,  6. 

Yoke,  229. 
Yokefellow,  193. 
Youth,  222. 

Zenas,  271. 


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